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Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been prohibited for 36 months after the Kenyan acknowledged anti-doping infractions.

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

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

The sports governing body had sought a four-year suspension but the 31-year-old punishment was lowered to 36 months because she confessed to the infractions.

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

"The case regarding the positive test for the substance has been settled, but the AIU will keep looking into 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 interviewed in the fourth month by the integrity body, the marathoner, the initial female to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an reason for the positive test.

While HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 ng/mL in samples, the athlete's test showed an approximate level of 3,800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of the diuretic below the detection threshold were also identified in a sample collected from the runner 14 days prior, on 28 February.

At a later interview on July 11, the record holder was presented with the aforementioned suspicious evidence obtained from her mobile. Meanwhile, contamination had also been ruled out by the AIU.

The athlete altered her story on July 31, stating that she had taken her housemaid's pills - marked as being the banned substance - after becoming ill two days before the failed test.

The unit had "major doubts about the reliability of the revised account" and, in the context of the athletics' anti-doping regulations, such "carelessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an increased four-year penalty is applicable".

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

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

"Nobody is exempt from regulations."

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

"Marathon organizers should be commended for jointly supporting doping prevention capable of uncovering substance abuses committed by elite athletes in their races."