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Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been suspended for 36 months after the Kenyan admitted to anti-doping rule violations.

Chepngetich was provisionally suspended in the seventh month following a failed test for a banned substance - a banned diuretic often utilized as a masking agent - on March 14.

Chepngetich's achievements which pre-date that sample - such as her global best performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will still stand.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had sought a four-year suspension but the 31-year-old penalty was lowered to three years because she admitted to the violations.

However, the AIU will continue to investigate proof from Chepngetich's phone which it found suggest "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been intentional" - including messages from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter concerning the failed test for the substance has been resolved, but the unit will keep looking into the suspicious material found on the runner's device to determine if any further infractions have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in the fourth month by the integrity body, Chepngetich, the first woman to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an reason for the failed test.

Although the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in urine, Chepngetich's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of HCTZ under the minimal reporting level were also identified in a test collected from the runner 14 days prior, on 28 February.

At a later interview on July 11, Chepngetich was shown the aforementioned questionable proof acquired from her mobile. In the meantime, contamination had also been ruled out by the AIU.

The athlete changed her explanation on July 31, claiming that she had taken her housemaid's pills - marked as being the banned substance - after becoming ill two days before the failed test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the athletics' doping rules, such "recklessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an increased four-year penalty is applicable".

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

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

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"Although disappointing for those who had faith in this athlete, this is how the system is designed to operate."

"Marathon organizers should be commended for jointly supporting anti-doping efforts capable of revealing substance abuses performed by top competitors in their races."