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

Chepngetich was provisionally suspended in July following a positive test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance often utilized as a concealing drug - on March 14.

The athlete's achievements which pre-date that test - such as her world record performance of 2:09:56 in Chicago in October 2024 - will still stand.

The sports governing body had sought a 48-month suspension but the runner's penalty was lowered to three years because she confessed to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will continue to investigate evidence from the athlete's phone which it found indicate "strong grounds that her failed test may have been deliberate" - featuring messages from as early as 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 taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

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

Although the substance has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, the athlete's sample showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of HCTZ below the detection threshold were also found in a test taken from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on February 28.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, Chepngetich was presented with the previously mentioned suspicious evidence obtained from her mobile. In the meantime, accidental exposure had also been ruled out by the AIU.

The athlete changed her explanation on July 31, stating that she had taken her domestic worker's medication - labeled as being HCTZ - after becoming ill two days before the failed test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the athletics' doping rules, such "carelessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month sanction applies".

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

The three-year ban started on April 19 - when the athlete accepted a temporary ban - with the runner's results, awards, championships, participation and earnings since 14 March lost.

"Nobody is above the rules."

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

"Marathon organizers should be praised for collectively funding doping prevention able to uncovering doping violations performed by top competitors in their races."