Long-distance running Record Holder Ruth Chepngetich Receives 36-month Suspension

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

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

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

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a 48-month ban but the runner's punishment was lowered to 36 months because she confessed to the violations.

However, the integrity unit will continue to investigate proof from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been intentional" - including messages dating back to the year 2022.

"The case concerning the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the unit will keep looking into the questionable evidence found on the runner's phone to determine if any other violations have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in April by the integrity body, the marathoner, the initial female to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an reason for the positive test.

Although HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in urine, Chepngetich's test showed an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of the diuretic under the detection threshold were also found in a test taken from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on February 28.

At a later interview on July 11, the record holder was shown the aforementioned suspicious evidence acquired from her phone. Meanwhile, accidental exposure had also been ruled out by the AIU.

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

The AIU had "serious reservations about the reliability of the revised account" and, in the context of the athletics' doping regulations, such "recklessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an increased four-year penalty is applicable".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after Chepngetich admitted the doping breaches within the 20 days required.

The three-year ban started on 19 April - when the athlete accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's results, honors, championships, appearance and earnings from 14 March forfeited.

"Nobody is above the rules."

"While disappointing for those who had faith in this athlete, 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 doping violations performed by elite athletes in their events."