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

Chepngetich was provisionally suspended in July following a failed test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a banned diuretic often utilized as a concealing drug - on 14 March.

The athlete's achievements which pre-date that sample - such as her world record performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in Chicago in 2024 - will still stand.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had sought a 48-month ban but the 31-year-old penalty was reduced to three years because she admitted to the violations.

However, the integrity unit will continue to investigate evidence from the athlete's phone which it found suggest "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been intentional" - including messages from as early as the year 2022.

"The case regarding the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the AIU will continue to investigate the suspicious material found on Chepngetich's phone to determine if any other violations have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in the fourth month by the integrity body, Chepngetich, the first woman to run a marathon in under 2:10, was unable to give an reason for the positive test.

While the substance has a minimum reporting level of 20 ng/mL in samples, the athlete's test showed an approximate level of 3,800 ng/mL.

Traces of the diuretic under the detection threshold were also identified in a test collected from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on February 28.

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

The athlete altered her story on July 31, claiming that she had taken her domestic worker's pills - marked as being the banned substance - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the failed test.

The unit had "major doubts about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the context of the athletics' anti-doping rules, such "recklessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month penalty is applicable".

An standard 12-month decrease was granted after Chepngetich confessed to the doping rule violations inside the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension commenced on 19 April - when the athlete agreed to a temporary ban - with the competitor's results, awards, championships, appearance and earnings from 14 March lost.

"Nobody is exempt from regulations."

"While disappointing for those who put their trust in this runner, this is how the system is supposed to work."

"The road-running industry should be commended for collectively funding anti-doping efforts able to uncovering substance abuses committed by elite athletes in their races."