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Women's marathon global champion Ruth Chepngetich has been prohibited for three years after the Kenyan confessed to doping infractions.

Chepngetich was provisionally suspended in July following a positive test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance used commonly as a masking agent - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's accomplishments which occurred before that test - such as her world record time of 2:09:56 in Chicago in 2024 - will still stand.

The sports governing body had sought a 48-month ban but the runner's punishment was lowered to three years because she admitted to the violations.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will continue to investigate proof from the athlete's mobile device which it found suggest "strong grounds that her positive test may have been deliberate" - featuring communications from as early as the year 2022.

"The case concerning the positive test for HCTZ has been settled, but the AIU will keep looking into the questionable evidence recovered from the runner's phone to determine if any other violations have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

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

While the substance has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, the athlete's test showed an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of HCTZ under the minimal reporting level were also found in a test taken from the runner 14 days prior, on 28 February.

At a later interview on 11 July, the record holder was presented with the aforementioned questionable proof obtained from her phone. In the meantime, accidental exposure had also been ruled out by the AIU.

The athlete changed her explanation on July 31, stating that she had taken her housemaid's medication - marked as being the banned substance - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the failed test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the reliability of the revised account" and, in the context of the sport's doping rules, such "carelessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an increased four-year sanction is applicable".

An automatic one-year reduction was granted after the runner confessed to the doping breaches within the specified 20-day period.

The 36-month suspension started on 19 April - when the athlete agreed to a temporary ban - with the competitor's performances, honors, titles, appearance and prize money since 14 March lost.

"Nobody is above the rules."

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

"The road-running industry should be praised for collectively funding doping prevention capable of revealing doping violations committed by top competitors in their races."