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Female long-distance world record-holder the athlete has been banned for 36 months after the runner admitted to doping rule violations.

The record holder was temporarily banned in the seventh month following a failed test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance often utilized as a masking agent - on March 14.

Chepngetich's achievements which occurred before that test - including her global best time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will still stand.

The sports governing body had sought a four-year ban but the 31-year-old punishment was reduced to 36 months because she admitted to the violations.

Nonetheless, the AIU will keep examining evidence from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found suggest "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been intentional" - including communications dating back to 2022.

"The case concerning the positive test for the substance has been resolved, but the AIU will continue to investigate the suspicious material 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 AIU, the marathoner, the first woman to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an explanation for the positive test.

While the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in samples, Chepngetich's test showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of HCTZ under the minimal reporting level were also identified in a sample taken from the runner two weeks earlier, on February 28.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, Chepngetich was shown the aforementioned questionable proof obtained from her phone. Meanwhile, accidental exposure had also been ruled out by the AIU.

The athlete altered her story on 31 July, stating that she had used her domestic worker's pills - labeled as being HCTZ - after becoming ill two days before the positive test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the reliability 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 penalty is applicable".

An standard 12-month decrease was applied after Chepngetich confessed to the doping rule violations inside the 20 days required.

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

"No one is exempt from regulations."

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

"Marathon organizers should be commended for jointly supporting anti-doping efforts able to revealing substance abuses committed by top competitors in their races."