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Female long-distance world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been suspended for three years after the Kenyan acknowledged anti-doping infractions.

Chepngetich was provisionally suspended in the seventh month following a failed test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a banned diuretic used commonly as a concealing drug - on 14 March.

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

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a four-year ban but the runner's penalty was lowered to 36 months because she confessed to the infractions.

However, the AIU will keep examining proof from the athlete's mobile device which it found indicate "strong grounds that her positive test may have been intentional" - featuring communications from as early as the year 2022.

"The case concerning the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the unit will keep looking into the suspicious material found on the runner's phone to determine if any further infractions have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in April by the AIU, the marathoner, the initial female to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an reason for the positive test.

While the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in urine, Chepngetich's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of HCTZ below the minimal reporting level were also identified in a test taken from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a later interview on 11 July, Chepngetich was shown the aforementioned questionable proof obtained from her phone. In the meantime, contamination had also been disproven by the authority.

The athlete altered her story on 31 July, claiming that she had taken her domestic worker's medication - marked as being HCTZ - 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 context of the sport's doping regulations, such "recklessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month penalty applies".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after Chepngetich admitted the anti-doping rule violations inside the 20 days required.

The three-year ban commenced on April 19 - when Chepngetich agreed to a temporary ban - with the competitor's performances, honors, championships, participation and earnings from 14 March forfeited.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"While unfortunate for those who had faith in this athlete, this is how the system is supposed to work."

"Marathon organizers should be praised for jointly supporting doping prevention able to uncovering substance abuses committed by elite athletes in their events."