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Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been banned for 36 months after the runner acknowledged anti-doping rule violations.

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

The athlete's accomplishments which pre-date that test - including her world record performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in 2024 - will remain valid.

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

Nonetheless, the AIU will keep examining proof from Chepngetich's phone which it found indicate "strong grounds that her positive test may have been deliberate" - including communications from as early as 2022.

"The case regarding the failed test for the substance has been settled, but the AIU will continue to investigate the questionable evidence 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 initial female to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an explanation for the failed test.

Although HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in samples, the athlete's test showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of the diuretic under the detection threshold were also identified in a test taken from the runner two weeks earlier, on February 28.

At a subsequent meeting on 11 July, the record holder was shown the aforementioned suspicious evidence acquired from her mobile. Meanwhile, contamination had also been disproven by the authority.

Chepngetich changed her explanation on July 31, claiming that she had taken her housemaid's pills - labeled as being the banned substance - after falling sick 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the context of the sport's doping regulations, such "carelessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an increased four-year sanction applies".

An standard 12-month decrease was applied after Chepngetich admitted the doping rule violations within the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension started on April 19 - when Chepngetich accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the runner's results, honors, championships, participation and earnings from March 14 lost.

"No one is above the rules."

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

"Marathon organizers should be praised for collectively funding anti-doping efforts capable of uncovering substance abuses performed by top competitors in their events."