Marathon Record Holder Chepngetich Handed 36-month Suspension

Women's marathon world record-holder the athlete has been banned for three years after the Kenyan confessed to anti-doping rule violations.

The record holder was provisionally suspended in the seventh month following a failed test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a banned diuretic used commonly as a concealing drug - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's accomplishments which pre-date that test - including her global best time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in Chicago in October 2024 - will still stand.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a 48-month suspension but the runner's penalty was lowered to three years because she admitted to the violations.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will keep examining evidence from the athlete's phone which it found indicate "strong grounds that her positive test may have been intentional" - including communications dating back to 2022.

"This matter concerning the failed test for the substance has been settled, but the unit will continue to investigate the questionable evidence recovered from the runner's phone to ascertain if any other violations have occurred."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

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

While HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in samples, Chepngetich's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of the diuretic under the minimal reporting level were also found in a test taken from the runner two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

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

The athlete altered her story on 31 July, stating that she had used her domestic worker's medication - marked as being HCTZ - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the failed test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the framework of the sport's doping regulations, such "recklessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an increased four-year penalty is applicable".

An automatic one-year reduction was granted after Chepngetich confessed to the doping rule violations inside the specified 20-day period.

The 36-month suspension started on April 19 - when Chepngetich agreed to a temporary ban - with the competitor's performances, honors, titles, participation and earnings from March 14 forfeited.

"Nobody is exempt from regulations."

"While 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 anti-doping efforts capable of uncovering substance abuses performed by elite athletes in their events."