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Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been suspended for three years after the Kenyan admitted to doping infractions.

Chepngetich was provisionally suspended in July following a failed test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a prohibited substance often utilized as a masking agent - on 14 March.

The athlete's achievements which pre-date that test - such as her global best performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in 2024 - will remain valid.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a four-year suspension but the runner's penalty was reduced to 36 months because she confessed to the violations.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will keep examining evidence from the athlete's mobile device which it found indicate "strong grounds that her positive test may have been deliberate" - including messages dating back to the year 2022.

"The case regarding the failed test for the substance has been settled, but the unit will keep looking into the suspicious material found on Chepngetich's device to ascertain if any other violations have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When interviewed in April by the AIU, the marathoner, the initial female to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an reason for the failed test.

Although HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in urine, Chepngetich's sample showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of HCTZ under the detection threshold were also identified in a sample taken from the runner two weeks earlier, on February 28.

At a later interview on 11 July, the record holder was shown the aforementioned questionable proof acquired from her mobile. In the meantime, contamination had also been disproven by the authority.

Chepngetich altered her story on July 31, claiming that she had used her housemaid's medication - marked as being the banned substance - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the context of the sport's anti-doping rules, such "carelessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month penalty is applicable".

An standard 12-month decrease was granted after the runner admitted the doping rule violations inside the 20 days required.

The three-year ban commenced on April 19 - when Chepngetich agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's results, awards, titles, participation and prize money from March 14 lost.

"No one is above the rules."

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

"Marathon organizers should be commended for jointly supporting anti-doping efforts able to uncovering substance abuses committed by top competitors in their events."