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Female long-distance world record-holder the athlete has been banned for three years after the Kenyan admitted to anti-doping rule violations.

The record holder was provisionally suspended in July following a positive test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance often utilized as a masking agent - on March 14.

Chepngetich's achievements which occurred before that sample - including her world record performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will remain valid.

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

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will continue to investigate evidence from Chepngetich's phone which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been intentional" - including communications from as early as 2022.

"The case concerning the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the unit will continue to investigate the questionable evidence recovered from Chepngetich's device to determine if any other violations have occurred."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in the fourth month by the integrity body, Chepngetich, the initial female to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an explanation for the positive test.

While the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, the athlete's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of the diuretic under the detection threshold were also found in a test collected from the runner two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on 11 July, Chepngetich was presented with the previously mentioned suspicious evidence obtained from her phone. Meanwhile, accidental exposure had also been disproven by the authority.

The athlete altered her story on 31 July, claiming that she had used her housemaid's pills - marked as being HCTZ - after becoming ill two days before the positive test.

The AIU had "serious reservations about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the context of the sport's anti-doping regulations, such "carelessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an increased four-year sanction is applicable".

An standard 12-month decrease was granted after Chepngetich confessed to the doping breaches 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, championships, appearance and prize money since March 14 forfeited.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"Although disappointing for those who put their trust in this athlete, this is how the process is supposed to work."

"Marathon organizers should be commended for collectively funding anti-doping efforts capable of uncovering substance abuses performed by top competitors in their events."