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Female long-distance world record-holder the athlete has been banned for three years after the Kenyan acknowledged anti-doping infractions.

Chepngetich was temporarily banned in the seventh month following a failed test for a banned substance - a banned diuretic used commonly as a masking agent - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's accomplishments which pre-date that sample - such as her world record time of 2:09:56 in Chicago in October 2024 - will remain valid.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a 48-month ban but the 31-year-old punishment was lowered to 36 months because she confessed to the violations.

Nonetheless, the AIU will continue to investigate evidence from the athlete's phone which it found indicate "strong grounds that her positive test may have been deliberate" - including messages from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the unit will continue to investigate the suspicious material recovered from Chepngetich's device to ascertain if any other violations have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in the fourth month by the AIU, Chepngetich, the first woman to run a marathon in under 2:10, could not provide an explanation for the failed test.

While HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in urine, Chepngetich's test showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of HCTZ below the minimal reporting level were also found in a sample collected from the runner two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, Chepngetich was shown the aforementioned questionable proof acquired from her phone. In the meantime, contamination had also been disproven by the AIU.

The athlete altered her story on 31 July, stating that she had taken her domestic worker's medication - labeled as being HCTZ - after falling sick two days before the positive test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the context of the sport's doping regulations, such "carelessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an increased four-year sanction applies".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after the runner admitted the doping rule violations within the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension commenced on April 19 - when Chepngetich accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the runner's performances, awards, titles, appearance and prize money from 14 March forfeited.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"While disappointing for those who had faith in this athlete, this is how the system is supposed to work."

"The road-running industry should be praised for collectively funding doping prevention able to revealing doping violations performed by elite athletes in their events."