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Women's marathon world record-holder the athlete has been suspended for three years after the runner acknowledged anti-doping infractions.

Chepngetich was temporarily banned in July following a failed test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance used commonly as a masking agent - on March 14.

The athlete's accomplishments which pre-date that test - such as her world record performance of 2:09:56 in Chicago in 2024 - will still stand.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had sought a four-year ban but the runner's penalty was lowered to three years because she admitted to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will continue to investigate proof from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found indicate "strong grounds that her failed test may have been intentional" - featuring messages from as early as the year 2022.

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

'Nobody is above the rules'

When interviewed in the fourth month by the integrity body, Chepngetich, the initial female to complete a marathon in under 2:10, could not provide an explanation for the failed test.

Although the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 nanograms per millilitre (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 found in a test collected from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on 11 July, Chepngetich was shown the previously mentioned suspicious evidence obtained from her mobile. In the meantime, contamination had also been disproven by the authority.

Chepngetich changed her explanation on July 31, stating that she had used her domestic worker's pills - marked as being HCTZ - after falling sick 48 hours prior to the failed test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the context of the athletics' anti-doping regulations, such "carelessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an increased four-year sanction applies".

An standard 12-month decrease was applied after the runner admitted the anti-doping rule violations inside the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension commenced on April 19 - when the athlete accepted a temporary ban - with the competitor's results, honors, titles, participation and prize money since March 14 lost.

"No one is above the rules."

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

"Marathon organizers should be praised for jointly supporting doping prevention able to revealing doping violations performed by elite athletes in their events."