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Women's marathon world record-holder the athlete has been prohibited for three years after the runner acknowledged doping infractions.

The record holder was provisionally suspended in July following a failed test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance often utilized as a concealing drug - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's achievements which pre-date that test - including her world record performance of 2:09:56 in Chicago in October 2024 - will still stand.

The sports governing body had sought a 48-month suspension but the 31-year-old penalty was reduced to 36 months because she admitted to the violations.

Nonetheless, the AIU will continue to investigate evidence from the athlete's mobile device which it found suggest "strong grounds that her failed test may have been intentional" - including communications from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the positive test for the substance has been settled, but the AIU will keep looking into the suspicious material recovered from the runner's phone to determine if any further infractions have occurred."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in April by the integrity body, the marathoner, the initial female to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an reason for the failed test.

Although HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in samples, the athlete's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL.

Traces of HCTZ below the minimal reporting level were also identified in a test taken from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on February 28.

At a subsequent meeting on 11 July, the record holder was shown the aforementioned suspicious evidence obtained from her mobile. In the meantime, accidental exposure had also been disproven by the authority.

Chepngetich changed her explanation on 31 July, stating that she had taken her housemaid's medication - labeled as being the banned substance - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The unit had "major doubts about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the context of the sport's doping regulations, such "recklessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an increased four-year sanction is applicable".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after Chepngetich confessed to the anti-doping rule violations inside the 20 days required.

The three-year ban commenced on April 19 - when the athlete agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension - with the runner's performances, awards, titles, appearance and prize money since March 14 lost.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"Although unfortunate for those who put their trust in this athlete, this is how the system is designed to operate."

"Marathon organizers should be praised for collectively funding doping prevention capable of uncovering doping violations performed by top competitors in their races."