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Female long-distance world record-holder the athlete has been banned for 36 months after the runner acknowledged anti-doping infractions.

Chepngetich was temporarily banned in July following a failed test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a prohibited substance often utilized as a concealing drug - on March 14.

Chepngetich's accomplishments which pre-date that test - such as her world record time of 2:09:56 in Chicago in October 2024 - will remain valid.

The sports governing body had sought a 48-month suspension but the runner's punishment was lowered to 36 months because she confessed to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the AIU will keep examining evidence from Chepngetich's phone which it found suggest "strong grounds that her failed test may have been deliberate" - featuring communications from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter concerning the failed test for the substance has been resolved, but the AIU will continue to investigate the questionable evidence recovered from Chepngetich's device to ascertain if any other violations have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

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

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

Traces 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, Chepngetich was presented with the aforementioned suspicious evidence acquired from her mobile. In the meantime, contamination had also been ruled out by the authority.

The athlete changed her explanation on 31 July, claiming that she had used her domestic worker's medication - labeled as being HCTZ - after falling sick two days before the failed test.

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

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after the runner confessed to the doping breaches inside the 20 days required.

The three-year ban commenced on April 19 - when the athlete agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's performances, honors, championships, participation and earnings since March 14 forfeited.

"No one is above the rules."

"While unfortunate for those who had faith in this runner, this is how the process is supposed to work."

"Marathon organizers should be commended for jointly supporting doping prevention able to revealing doping violations committed by elite athletes in their races."