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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 temporarily banned in July following a positive test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a banned diuretic used commonly as a masking agent - on March 14.

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 sports governing body had requested a 48-month ban but the 31-year-old penalty was lowered to 36 months because she confessed to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will keep examining evidence from the athlete's mobile device which it found suggest "strong grounds that her positive test may have been deliberate" - including communications from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the failed test for the substance has been settled, but the unit will continue to investigate the suspicious material found on the runner's phone to determine if any further infractions have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

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

Although HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in urine, Chepngetich's sample showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of HCTZ below the detection threshold were also found in a test collected from the runner 14 days prior, on February 28.

At a subsequent meeting on 11 July, the record holder was shown the aforementioned questionable proof acquired from her phone. Meanwhile, accidental exposure had also been ruled out by the authority.

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

The unit had "serious reservations about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the framework of the sport's anti-doping regulations, such "carelessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month sanction is applicable".

An standard 12-month decrease was granted after Chepngetich confessed to 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 runner's results, honors, championships, appearance and earnings since 14 March lost.

"Nobody is exempt from regulations."

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

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