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Women's marathon global champion Ruth Chepngetich has been suspended for three years after the runner confessed to doping infractions.

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

The athlete's accomplishments which occurred before that test - such as her global best performance of 2:09:56 in Chicago in 2024 - will still stand.

The sports governing body had sought a 48-month suspension but the 31-year-old punishment was lowered to three years because she confessed to the violations.

However, the AIU will continue to investigate evidence from the athlete's mobile device which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been intentional" - including messages dating back to the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the failed test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the AIU will keep looking into the suspicious material found on the runner's phone to determine if any other violations have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in the fourth month by the integrity body, the marathoner, the initial female to run a marathon in under 2:10, was unable to give an reason for the failed test.

Although HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in urine, Chepngetich's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL.

Traces of HCTZ below the detection threshold were also identified in a test taken from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on February 28.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, the record holder was presented with the previously mentioned suspicious evidence acquired from her phone. Meanwhile, contamination had also been disproven by the authority.

The athlete altered her story on 31 July, stating that she had taken her domestic worker's pills - marked as being HCTZ - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the failed test.

The unit had "major doubts about the reliability 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 penalty is applicable".

An standard 12-month decrease was granted after the runner confessed to the anti-doping rule violations inside the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension started on April 19 - when the athlete accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the runner's performances, honors, titles, participation and earnings since March 14 forfeited.

"Nobody is above the rules."

"While disappointing for those who had faith in this athlete, this is how the system is supposed to work."

"The road-running industry should be praised for jointly supporting doping prevention able to revealing doping violations committed by top competitors in their events."