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Women's marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been banned for 36 months after the Kenyan acknowledged anti-doping infractions.

The record holder was temporarily banned in the seventh month following a failed test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a banned diuretic often utilized as a masking agent - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's achievements which pre-date that test - such as her world record time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will still stand.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a 48-month ban but the runner's penalty was reduced to three years because she admitted to the violations.

However, the AIU will keep examining evidence from Chepngetich's phone which it found suggest "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been intentional" - including messages dating back to 2022.

"This matter regarding the positive test for the substance has been resolved, but the AIU will continue to investigate the suspicious material recovered from the runner's phone to ascertain if any further infractions have occurred."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When interviewed 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 explanation for the failed test.

While HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 ng/mL in samples, Chepngetich's test showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

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

At a subsequent meeting on 11 July, Chepngetich was presented with the aforementioned questionable proof obtained from her phone. In the meantime, accidental exposure had also been disproven by the authority.

Chepngetich changed her explanation on July 31, claiming that she had taken her domestic worker's medication - labeled as being the banned substance - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the sport's doping rules, such "recklessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month penalty applies".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after Chepngetich admitted the doping rule violations within the 20 days required.

The three-year ban commenced on April 19 - when the athlete agreed to a temporary ban - with the runner's results, awards, titles, participation and earnings from 14 March forfeited.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"Although unfortunate for those who had faith in this athlete, this is how the process is supposed to work."

"Marathon organizers should be commended for jointly supporting doping prevention able to uncovering doping violations performed by elite athletes in their races."