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Female long-distance world record-holder the athlete has been prohibited for three years after the runner acknowledged anti-doping infractions.

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

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

The sports governing body had sought a 48-month ban but the runner's punishment was reduced to 36 months because she admitted to the violations.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will keep examining evidence from the athlete's mobile device which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been intentional" - including messages dating back to 2022.

"This matter regarding the failed test for the substance has been resolved, but the unit will keep looking into the suspicious material found on the runner's phone to ascertain if any further infractions have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

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

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

Traces of the diuretic under the detection threshold were also identified in a sample collected from the runner two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, the record holder was presented with the aforementioned questionable proof obtained from her phone. Meanwhile, contamination had also been disproven by the authority.

Chepngetich altered her story on 31 July, claiming that she had taken her housemaid's medication - marked as being HCTZ - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the context of the sport's doping regulations, such "recklessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month sanction is applicable".

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

The 36-month suspension started on April 19 - when Chepngetich agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension - with the runner's results, awards, championships, appearance and prize money since March 14 lost.

"Nobody is exempt from regulations."

"While disappointing for those who had faith in this runner, this is how the process is supposed to work."

"Marathon organizers should be commended for collectively funding anti-doping efforts capable of revealing substance abuses performed by elite athletes in their events."