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Women's marathon global champion Ruth Chepngetich has been suspended for 36 months after the runner acknowledged anti-doping rule violations.

Chepngetich was provisionally suspended in the seventh month following a positive test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance used commonly as a concealing drug - on 14 March.

The athlete's achievements which occurred before that sample - including her world record performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in 2024 - will remain valid.

The sports governing body had requested a 48-month ban but the runner's punishment was reduced to 36 months because she confessed to the violations.

However, the AIU will continue to investigate evidence from the athlete's mobile device which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been intentional" - featuring messages dating back to 2022.

"This matter regarding the failed test for the substance has been resolved, but the AIU will keep looking into the suspicious material recovered from Chepngetich's phone to ascertain if any other violations have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When interviewed in the fourth month by the AIU, Chepngetich, the initial female to complete a marathon in under 2:10, could not provide an reason for the positive test.

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

Small amounts of HCTZ below the minimal reporting level were also found in a test collected from the runner 14 days prior, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, the record holder was presented with the previously mentioned suspicious evidence obtained from her mobile. In the meantime, accidental exposure had also been ruled out by the AIU.

The athlete altered her story on July 31, stating that she had taken her housemaid's medication - labeled as being HCTZ - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The AIU had "serious reservations about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the context of the athletics' anti-doping rules, such "carelessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month penalty is applicable".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after Chepngetich confessed to the anti-doping breaches inside the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension started on April 19 - when the athlete accepted a temporary ban - with the runner's performances, awards, titles, appearance and earnings since 14 March forfeited.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"Although disappointing for those who had faith in this runner, this is how the process is supposed to work."

"The road-running industry should be praised for jointly supporting doping prevention capable of revealing doping violations performed by elite athletes in their events."