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Women's marathon global champion Ruth Chepngetich has been prohibited for 36 months after the Kenyan acknowledged doping rule violations.

The record holder was provisionally suspended in the seventh month following a failed test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance used commonly as a masking agent - on 14 March.

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

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

However, the integrity unit will keep examining proof from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found suggest "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been intentional" - featuring communications from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter concerning the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the AIU will keep looking into the questionable evidence recovered from Chepngetich's phone to ascertain if any other violations 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, was unable to give an reason for the positive test.

While the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, the athlete's sample showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of HCTZ below the detection threshold were also identified in a test taken from the runner two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on 11 July, Chepngetich was presented with the aforementioned questionable proof acquired from her mobile. Meanwhile, contamination had also been disproven by the AIU.

The athlete altered her story on July 31, stating that she had taken her domestic worker's medication - marked as being HCTZ - after becoming ill two days before the failed test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the reliability of the revised account" and, in the framework of the athletics' anti-doping rules, such "recklessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month sanction is applicable".

An automatic one-year reduction was granted after the runner confessed to the anti-doping rule violations within the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension commenced on 19 April - when Chepngetich agreed to a temporary ban - with the runner's performances, awards, titles, appearance and earnings from March 14 forfeited.

"No one is above the rules."

"While disappointing for those who put their trust in this athlete, this is how the system is supposed to work."

"The road-running industry should be praised for collectively funding anti-doping efforts able to uncovering doping violations performed by elite athletes in their races."