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Female long-distance global champion the athlete has been prohibited for 36 months after the Kenyan admitted to anti-doping infractions.

The record holder was temporarily banned in July following a positive test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance often utilized as a concealing drug - on 14 March.

The athlete's accomplishments which occurred before that sample - including her world record performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in 2024 - will still stand.

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

However, the integrity unit will keep examining evidence from Chepngetich's phone which it found indicate "strong grounds that her failed test may have been deliberate" - featuring messages dating back to 2022.

"This matter regarding the failed test for the substance has been resolved, but the unit will continue to investigate the suspicious material found on Chepngetich's phone to determine if any other violations have occurred."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in the fourth month by the integrity body, Chepngetich, the first woman to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an explanation for the positive test.

Although HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 ng/mL in urine, Chepngetich's test showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of the diuretic below the detection threshold were also identified in a sample collected from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, the record holder was presented with the aforementioned suspicious evidence acquired from her mobile. In the meantime, accidental exposure had also been ruled out by the authority.

Chepngetich altered her story on July 31, claiming that she had taken her domestic worker's pills - labeled as being the banned substance - after falling sick 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the sport's doping rules, such "carelessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an increased four-year penalty applies".

An standard 12-month decrease was applied after Chepngetich confessed to the doping breaches inside the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension started on April 19 - when the athlete accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's performances, honors, championships, participation and prize money since 14 March forfeited.

"Nobody is above the rules."

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

"Marathon organizers should be commended for jointly supporting doping prevention capable of revealing doping violations performed by top competitors in their events."