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Female long-distance world record-holder the athlete has been suspended for three years after the Kenyan acknowledged doping rule violations.

The record holder was provisionally suspended in July following a failed test for a banned substance - a banned diuretic used commonly as a masking agent - on 14 March.

The athlete's achievements which occurred before that sample - including her world record time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in Chicago in 2024 - will still stand.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had sought a four-year suspension but the 31-year-old penalty was reduced to three years because she confessed to the infractions.

However, the AIU will continue to investigate proof from the athlete's mobile device which it found indicate "strong grounds that her failed test may have been deliberate" - including communications from as early as 2022.

"The case regarding the failed test for the substance has been resolved, but the unit will continue to investigate the suspicious material found on Chepngetich's device to ascertain if any other violations have occurred."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in April by the AIU, the marathoner, the first woman to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an explanation for the failed test.

While HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, the athlete's test showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of the diuretic under the minimal reporting level were also identified in a test taken from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on February 28.

At a later interview on July 11, Chepngetich was presented with the previously mentioned questionable proof obtained from her mobile. Meanwhile, contamination had also been disproven by the AIU.

The athlete altered her story on July 31, stating that she had taken her domestic worker's pills - marked as being HCTZ - after falling sick two days before the failed test.

The unit had "major doubts about the reliability of the revised account" and, in the framework of the sport's anti-doping regulations, such "recklessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month sanction applies".

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

The three-year ban commenced on April 19 - when the athlete accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the runner's performances, awards, championships, appearance and earnings from March 14 lost.

"Nobody is above the rules."

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

"The road-running industry should be praised for jointly supporting anti-doping efforts able to revealing substance abuses performed by elite athletes in their events."