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Female long-distance global champion the athlete has been suspended for 36 months after the runner admitted to anti-doping infractions.

The record holder was temporarily banned in July following a positive test for a banned substance - a banned diuretic used commonly as a concealing drug - on March 14.

The athlete's achievements which occurred before that test - such as her world record performance of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will remain valid.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had sought a four-year suspension but the runner's punishment was lowered to 36 months because she confessed to the violations.

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

"The case regarding the failed test for the substance has been settled, but the unit will keep looking into the suspicious material recovered from the runner's device to ascertain if any other violations have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in the fourth month by the AIU, Chepngetich, the initial female to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an explanation for the failed test.

Although the substance has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in urine, Chepngetich's test showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

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

At a later interview on 11 July, Chepngetich was presented with the aforementioned questionable proof obtained from her mobile. Meanwhile, accidental exposure had also been ruled out by the authority.

Chepngetich altered her story on 31 July, stating that she had taken her housemaid's medication - marked as being the banned substance - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the context of the sport's anti-doping rules, such "recklessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an increased four-year penalty applies".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after the runner admitted the doping rule violations inside the specified 20-day period.

The three-year ban commenced on April 19 - when the athlete accepted a temporary ban - with the competitor's performances, honors, championships, participation and earnings from 14 March forfeited.

"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 collectively funding anti-doping efforts capable of uncovering doping violations committed by elite athletes in their races."