Long-distance running Champion Chepngetich Handed Three-Year Ban

Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been banned for three years after the Kenyan confessed to anti-doping rule violations.

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

The athlete's accomplishments which pre-date that test - including her world record time of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in 2024 - will remain valid.

The sports governing body had sought a 48-month ban but the runner's penalty was lowered to three years because she confessed 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 the year 2022.

"The case regarding the failed test for HCTZ has been settled, but the unit will keep looking into the questionable evidence recovered from Chepngetich's phone to ascertain if any other violations have occurred."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When interviewed in the fourth month by the integrity body, Chepngetich, the initial female to complete a marathon in under 2:10, was unable to give an explanation for the failed test.

Although the substance has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, Chepngetich's test showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of HCTZ below the detection threshold were also identified in a test taken from the runner 14 days prior, on February 28.

At a subsequent meeting on 11 July, Chepngetich was presented with the previously mentioned questionable proof obtained from her phone. Meanwhile, accidental exposure had also been disproven by the AIU.

Chepngetich changed her explanation on July 31, claiming that she had taken her domestic worker's medication - marked as being the banned substance - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the failed test.

The unit had "major doubts about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the framework of the sport's anti-doping regulations, such "carelessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month sanction applies".

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

The three-year ban started on April 19 - when the athlete agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's results, awards, titles, appearance and earnings since March 14 forfeited.

"Nobody is exempt from regulations."

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

"The road-running industry should be praised for jointly supporting doping prevention capable of revealing doping violations committed by elite athletes in their events."