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Women's marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been suspended for 36 months after the runner acknowledged doping rule violations.

Chepngetich was provisionally suspended in July following a positive test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a banned diuretic used commonly as a masking agent - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's accomplishments which occurred before that test - including her world record time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in Chicago in 2024 - will still stand.

The sports governing body had requested a 48-month suspension but the runner's punishment was lowered to 36 months because she admitted to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will continue to investigate evidence from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found indicate "strong grounds that her positive test may have been deliberate" - including messages dating back to 2022.

"The case concerning the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the AIU will continue to investigate the questionable evidence recovered from Chepngetich's phone to ascertain if any other violations have occurred."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

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 reason for the positive test.

Although HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in urine, Chepngetich's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL.

Traces of HCTZ below the detection threshold were also found in a test collected from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on 28 February.

At a later interview on July 11, Chepngetich was presented with the aforementioned suspicious evidence acquired from her mobile. In the meantime, contamination had also been disproven by the authority.

The athlete altered her story on 31 July, stating that she had taken her domestic worker's medication - marked as being HCTZ - after falling sick 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 athletics' doping rules, such "recklessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month sanction applies".

An standard 12-month decrease was applied after the runner admitted the doping rule violations within the specified 20-day period.

The 36-month suspension commenced on April 19 - when the athlete agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension - with the runner's results, honors, championships, appearance and earnings from March 14 lost.

"No one is above the rules."

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

"Marathon organizers should be commended for collectively funding anti-doping efforts capable of revealing substance abuses committed by top competitors in their races."