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Female long-distance world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been prohibited for 36 months after the Kenyan admitted to anti-doping rule violations.

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

Chepngetich's accomplishments which occurred before that test - including her global best time of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will still stand.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a four-year suspension but the runner's penalty was lowered to 36 months because she admitted to the infractions.

However, the AIU will keep examining proof from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been intentional" - including messages from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter concerning the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the AIU will keep looking into the questionable evidence recovered from the runner's phone to determine if any further infractions have occurred."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in April by the integrity body, the marathoner, the first woman to run 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 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, Chepngetich's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL.

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

At a later interview on July 11, the record holder was shown the aforementioned questionable proof obtained from her phone. Meanwhile, accidental exposure had also been disproven by the AIU.

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

The AIU had "major doubts about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the athletics' doping rules, such "recklessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an increased four-year sanction applies".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after Chepngetich confessed to the doping rule violations inside the specified 20-day period.

The 36-month suspension started on 19 April - when the athlete accepted a temporary ban - with the runner's results, honors, titles, participation and earnings from 14 March lost.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"While unfortunate for those who had faith in this runner, this is how the system is designed to operate."

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