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Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been suspended for 36 months after the Kenyan confessed to anti-doping infractions.

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

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

The sports governing body had sought a 48-month ban but the runner's penalty was reduced to 36 months because she confessed to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will keep examining proof from the athlete's mobile device which it found suggest "strong grounds that her positive test may have been intentional" - featuring messages from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the failed test for the substance has been resolved, but the unit will continue to investigate the suspicious material recovered from Chepngetich's device to ascertain if any further infractions have occurred."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When interviewed in April by the integrity body, Chepngetich, the initial female to run a marathon in under 2:10, could not provide an explanation for the positive test.

While HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in samples, the athlete's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

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

At a later interview on July 11, the record holder was shown the previously mentioned questionable proof acquired from her phone. Meanwhile, contamination had also been ruled out by the AIU.

Chepngetich changed her explanation on July 31, stating that she had taken her housemaid's pills - labeled as being HCTZ - after falling sick 48 hours prior to the failed test.

The unit had "major doubts about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the context of the sport's doping regulations, such "recklessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month sanction applies".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after Chepngetich admitted the anti-doping rule violations within the specified 20-day period.

The three-year ban started on April 19 - when Chepngetich agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's performances, awards, championships, participation and earnings since 14 March lost.

"Nobody is exempt from regulations."

"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 collectively funding anti-doping efforts capable of uncovering doping violations committed by top competitors in their races."