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

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

The athlete's achievements which occurred before that sample - such as her world record performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will still stand.

The sports governing body had sought a four-year ban but the runner's punishment was lowered to three years because she admitted to the violations.

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

"This matter regarding the positive test for the substance has been settled, but the AIU 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 interviewed in the fourth month by the AIU, Chepngetich, the first woman to run a marathon in under 2:10, could not provide an explanation for the failed test.

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

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

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

The athlete altered her story on July 31, claiming that she had used her housemaid's pills - marked as being the banned substance - after falling sick two days before the positive test.

The unit had "major doubts about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the athletics' anti-doping rules, such "carelessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month penalty applies".

An standard 12-month decrease was granted after the runner admitted the anti-doping breaches within the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension commenced on April 19 - when the athlete agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension - with the runner's results, awards, championships, appearance and earnings from 14 March forfeited.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"While disappointing for those who put their trust in this athlete, this is how the system is supposed to work."

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