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Women's marathon global champion Ruth Chepngetich has been prohibited for three years after the runner acknowledged anti-doping rule violations.

The record holder was temporarily banned in the seventh month following a failed test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance often utilized as a masking agent - on 14 March.

The athlete's achievements which occurred before that test - including her global best performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in 2024 - will remain valid.

The sports governing body had requested a four-year ban but the 31-year-old punishment was reduced to 36 months because she confessed to the violations.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will keep examining proof from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found suggest "strong grounds that her positive test may have been deliberate" - including communications from as early as 2022.

"The case concerning the failed test for HCTZ has been settled, but the AIU will continue to investigate the suspicious material found on the runner's phone to determine if any other violations have occurred."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in the fourth month by the integrity body, Chepngetich, the initial female to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an explanation for the failed test.

While HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in samples, the athlete's sample showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

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

At a later interview on 11 July, Chepngetich was presented with the previously mentioned suspicious evidence obtained from her phone. In the meantime, accidental exposure had also been ruled out by the authority.

Chepngetich altered her story on 31 July, claiming that she had used her housemaid's pills - labeled as being the banned substance - after falling sick 48 hours prior to the failed test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the context of the athletics' doping rules, such "carelessness" 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 doping breaches within the specified 20-day period.

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

"No one is exempt from regulations."

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

"The road-running industry should be commended for collectively funding doping prevention capable of revealing substance abuses performed by elite athletes in their events."