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Women's marathon world record-holder the athlete has been prohibited for 36 months after the runner confessed to doping rule violations.

Chepngetich was temporarily banned in July following a positive test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a banned diuretic often utilized as a masking agent - on March 14.

Chepngetich's accomplishments which occurred before that sample - such as her global best performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in Chicago in October 2024 - will remain valid.

The sports governing body had requested a four-year ban but the runner's punishment was lowered to three years because she confessed to the infractions.

However, the AIU will keep examining proof from the athlete's mobile device which it found suggest "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been intentional" - featuring communications from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter concerning the failed test for the substance has been settled, but the unit will continue to investigate the questionable evidence recovered from Chepngetich's phone to determine if any further infractions have occurred."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When interviewed in the fourth month by the AIU, Chepngetich, the initial female to run a marathon in under 2:10, could not provide an reason for the failed test.

Although the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in urine, the athlete's test showed an approximate level of 3,800 ng/mL.

Traces of HCTZ below the minimal reporting level were also identified in a test taken from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on 28 February.

At a later interview on 11 July, Chepngetich was presented with the previously mentioned suspicious evidence obtained from her mobile. Meanwhile, contamination had also been ruled out by the authority.

Chepngetich changed her explanation on 31 July, claiming that she had taken her domestic worker's pills - marked as being HCTZ - after falling sick two days before the failed test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the sport's doping regulations, such "recklessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month sanction is applicable".

An standard 12-month decrease was applied after the runner admitted the anti-doping breaches within the specified 20-day period.

The 36-month suspension commenced on 19 April - when Chepngetich accepted a temporary ban - with the competitor's results, honors, titles, appearance and prize money since March 14 forfeited.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

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

"The road-running industry should be praised for jointly supporting doping prevention capable of revealing substance abuses committed by elite athletes in their events."