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Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been banned for three years after the Kenyan admitted to doping infractions.

The record holder was provisionally suspended in July following a positive test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a banned diuretic often utilized as a masking agent - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's accomplishments which occurred before that sample - such as her world record time 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 suspension but the 31-year-old punishment was reduced to three years because she admitted to the infractions.

However, the AIU will keep examining evidence from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found suggest "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been deliberate" - including messages dating back to 2022.

"This matter concerning the positive test for the substance has been settled, but the unit will continue to investigate the suspicious material found on Chepngetich's device to determine if any further infractions have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in April by the AIU, Chepngetich, the initial female to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an explanation for the failed test.

Although HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, Chepngetich's test 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 February 28.

At a later interview on July 11, the record holder was presented with the previously mentioned questionable proof obtained from her phone. In the meantime, contamination had also been disproven by the AIU.

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

The AIU had "major doubts about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the context of the athletics' anti-doping rules, such "carelessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month penalty applies".

An standard 12-month decrease was applied after Chepngetich confessed to the anti-doping breaches within the specified 20-day period.

The 36-month suspension commenced on 19 April - when the athlete accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's results, honors, championships, participation and earnings from March 14 forfeited.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"Although unfortunate for those who put their trust in this athlete, this is how the process is designed to operate."

"Marathon organizers should be commended for jointly supporting doping prevention capable of uncovering doping violations performed by top competitors in their events."