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Women's marathon world record-holder the athlete has been suspended for three years after the Kenyan confessed to doping infractions.

The record holder was temporarily banned in the seventh month following a positive test for a banned substance - a banned diuretic often utilized as a masking agent - on 14 March.

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

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a four-year ban but the 31-year-old penalty was lowered to three years because she confessed to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the AIU will continue to investigate proof from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been deliberate" - featuring communications dating back to the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the failed test for HCTZ has been settled, but the AIU will continue to investigate the questionable evidence recovered from the runner's device to determine if any further infractions have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When interviewed in April by the AIU, the marathoner, the initial female to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an reason for the positive test.

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

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

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, Chepngetich was shown the previously mentioned suspicious evidence obtained from her mobile. In the meantime, contamination had also been disproven by the authority.

The athlete altered her story on July 31, stating that she had used her domestic worker's pills - labeled as being HCTZ - after becoming ill two days before the failed test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the reliability of the revised account" and, in the context of the sport's doping regulations, such "recklessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an increased four-year sanction applies".

An standard 12-month decrease was granted after Chepngetich confessed to the doping breaches within the specified 20-day period.

The three-year ban started on 19 April - when the athlete accepted a temporary ban - with the runner's results, honors, titles, appearance and earnings from March 14 lost.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"While unfortunate for those who put their trust in this athlete, this is how the system is designed to operate."

"Marathon organizers should be praised for jointly supporting anti-doping efforts able to revealing doping violations performed by elite athletes in their events."