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Female long-distance global champion the athlete has been prohibited for three years after the Kenyan acknowledged doping infractions.

Chepngetich was temporarily banned in July following a positive test for a banned substance - a banned diuretic used commonly as a concealing drug - on March 14.

Chepngetich's accomplishments which pre-date that sample - such as her world record performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in Chicago in 2024 - will remain valid.

The sports governing body had requested a four-year ban but the 31-year-old punishment was lowered to three years because she admitted to the violations.

However, the integrity unit will continue to investigate evidence from the athlete's mobile device which it found suggest "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been intentional" - featuring communications from as early as 2022.

"The case concerning the positive test for HCTZ has been settled, but the AIU will keep looking into the questionable evidence recovered from Chepngetich's device to ascertain if any further infractions have occurred."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in April by the integrity body, Chepngetich, the first woman to complete a marathon in under 2:10, was unable to give an reason for the positive test.

While HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 ng/mL in samples, the athlete's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL.

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

At a later interview on 11 July, the record holder was shown the aforementioned suspicious evidence obtained from her mobile. In the meantime, contamination had also been disproven by the authority.

The athlete changed her explanation on July 31, claiming that she had taken her housemaid's pills - labeled as being the banned substance - after falling sick two days before the positive test.

The AIU had "serious reservations about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the context of the athletics' anti-doping regulations, such "carelessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an increased four-year penalty is applicable".

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

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

"No one is above the rules."

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

"Marathon organizers should be praised for collectively funding anti-doping efforts able to revealing substance abuses performed by elite athletes in their races."