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Women's marathon global champion the athlete has been suspended for three years after the Kenyan confessed to doping infractions.

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

Chepngetich's achievements which pre-date that test - including her global best performance of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in 2024 - will still stand.

The sports governing body had sought a 48-month ban but the runner's punishment was reduced to three years because she confessed to the violations.

However, the integrity unit will keep examining evidence from Chepngetich's phone which it found indicate "strong grounds that her positive test may have been intentional" - featuring messages from as early as 2022.

"The case concerning the failed test for the substance has been resolved, but the AIU will keep looking into the questionable evidence found on Chepngetich's device to ascertain if any other violations have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in the fourth month by the AIU, Chepngetich, the initial female to complete a marathon in under 2:10, was unable to give an reason for the failed test.

Although the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in urine, the athlete's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL.

Traces of the diuretic under the detection threshold were also identified in a sample taken from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a later interview on July 11, Chepngetich was shown the aforementioned questionable proof obtained from her phone. In the meantime, contamination had also been ruled out by the authority.

The athlete changed her explanation on July 31, claiming that she had taken her domestic worker's pills - marked as being HCTZ - after falling sick 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The AIU had "serious reservations about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the athletics' anti-doping rules, such "carelessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an increased four-year penalty is applicable".

An standard 12-month decrease was applied after the runner admitted the doping breaches inside the specified 20-day period.

The three-year ban started on 19 April - when the athlete agreed to a temporary ban - with the competitor's performances, honors, titles, participation and prize money since 14 March forfeited.

"Nobody is above the rules."

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

"The road-running industry should be commended for jointly supporting doping prevention able to revealing doping violations committed by elite athletes in their races."