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Women's marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been prohibited for three years after the runner confessed to doping infractions.

The record holder was provisionally suspended in July following a failed test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance used commonly as a masking agent - on March 14.

Chepngetich's achievements which occurred before that test - such as her world record time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will remain valid.

The sports governing body had requested a 48-month suspension but the 31-year-old punishment was lowered to 36 months because she admitted to the violations.

Nonetheless, the AIU will continue to investigate proof from the athlete's phone which it found suggest "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been intentional" - including communications dating back to 2022.

"The case regarding the failed test for the substance has been resolved, but the AIU will continue to investigate the suspicious material found on the runner's device to determine if any other violations have occurred."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

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

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

Small amounts of the diuretic under the detection threshold were also found in a test taken from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, the record holder was shown the previously mentioned questionable proof acquired from her mobile. Meanwhile, accidental exposure had also been ruled out by the authority.

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

The AIU had "major doubts about the reliability of the revised account" and, in the framework of the athletics' doping regulations, such "carelessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month penalty applies".

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

The three-year ban started on 19 April - when Chepngetich agreed to a temporary ban - with the runner's results, awards, championships, appearance and earnings since 14 March lost.

"Nobody is exempt from regulations."

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

"Marathon organizers should be commended for jointly supporting doping prevention capable of revealing substance abuses committed by elite athletes in their events."