Marathon Champion Ruth Chepngetich Handed 36-month Suspension

Women's marathon world record-holder the athlete has been prohibited for 36 months after the Kenyan confessed to doping infractions.

Chepngetich was provisionally suspended in July following a failed test for a banned substance - a banned diuretic used commonly as a masking agent - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's achievements which occurred before that sample - such as her global best time of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will remain valid.

The sports governing body had sought a four-year suspension but the runner's penalty was lowered to 36 months because she confessed to the violations.

However, the AIU will continue to investigate proof from Chepngetich's phone which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been deliberate" - featuring messages from as early as the year 2022.

"The case regarding the positive test for HCTZ has been settled, but the unit will continue to investigate the suspicious material found on Chepngetich's phone to ascertain if any further infractions have occurred."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When interviewed 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 positive test.

While the substance has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in urine, Chepngetich's test showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of the diuretic below the minimal reporting level were also found in a test taken from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on February 28.

At a later interview on 11 July, the record holder was shown the aforementioned suspicious evidence acquired from her phone. In the meantime, contamination had also been ruled out by the authority.

The athlete changed her explanation on July 31, claiming that she had taken her housemaid's pills - labeled as being the banned substance - after becoming ill two days before the positive test.

The AIU had "serious reservations about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the context of the athletics' doping regulations, such "carelessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month penalty applies".

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

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

"No one is above the rules."

"While unfortunate for those who had faith in this athlete, this is how the process is designed to operate."

"Marathon organizers should be praised for collectively funding anti-doping efforts capable of uncovering doping violations performed by elite athletes in their events."