🔗 Share this article

Women's marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been suspended for three years after the runner confessed to doping rule violations.

The record holder was temporarily banned in July following a failed test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a prohibited substance used commonly as a concealing drug - on 14 March.

The athlete's achievements which pre-date that sample - including her world record performance of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in 2024 - will remain valid.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had sought a 48-month ban but the 31-year-old penalty was lowered to three years because she confessed to the violations.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will continue to investigate evidence from the athlete's mobile device which it found suggest "strong grounds that her failed test may have been intentional" - including communications from as early as 2022.

"This matter regarding the failed test for HCTZ has been settled, but the unit will continue to investigate the suspicious material found on Chepngetich's device to determine if any further infractions have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in April by the AIU, the marathoner, the first woman to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an explanation for the failed test.

Although the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in samples, Chepngetich's test showed an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of HCTZ under the minimal reporting level were also found in a sample taken from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, Chepngetich was presented with the previously mentioned suspicious evidence acquired from her phone. In the meantime, contamination had also been disproven by the AIU.

Chepngetich altered her story on July 31, claiming that she had used her domestic worker's medication - marked as being the banned substance - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the failed test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the athletics' doping regulations, such "recklessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month penalty applies".

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

The 36-month suspension commenced on April 19 - when the athlete accepted a temporary ban - with the competitor's results, awards, championships, participation and prize money since March 14 lost.

"Nobody is above the rules."

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

"Marathon organizers should be commended for collectively funding doping prevention capable of uncovering doping violations performed by top competitors in their events."