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Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been banned for three years after the runner admitted to anti-doping rule violations.

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

The athlete's achievements which occurred before that sample - including her world record time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in Chicago in 2024 - will remain valid.

The sports governing body had requested a four-year ban but the 31-year-old penalty was reduced to 36 months because she confessed to the infractions.

However, the integrity unit will keep examining proof from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found suggest "strong grounds that her failed test may have been deliberate" - including communications from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the positive test for the substance has been resolved, but the AIU will keep looking into the questionable evidence found on Chepngetich's phone to ascertain if any further infractions have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in the fourth month by the AIU, the marathoner, the initial female to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an explanation for the positive test.

While HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, the athlete's test showed an approximate level of 3,800 ng/mL.

Traces of the diuretic below the minimal reporting level were also identified in a sample collected from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on February 28.

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

The athlete changed her explanation on July 31, stating that she had taken her housemaid's medication - marked as being the banned substance - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the context of the athletics' doping rules, such "carelessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an increased four-year sanction is applicable".

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

The 36-month suspension started on April 19 - when the athlete agreed to a temporary ban - with the runner's results, awards, championships, participation and earnings from March 14 lost.

"No one is above the rules."

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

"The road-running industry should be praised for jointly supporting doping prevention able to uncovering doping violations performed by top competitors in their races."