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Women's marathon global champion Ruth Chepngetich has been suspended for three years after the Kenyan acknowledged anti-doping infractions.

The record holder was provisionally suspended in July following a failed test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance often utilized as a masking agent - on 14 March.

The athlete's achievements which pre-date that test - including her world record time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in 2024 - will still stand.

The sports governing body had sought a 48-month ban but the 31-year-old penalty was lowered to three years because she admitted to the violations.

Nonetheless, the AIU will keep examining proof from the athlete's phone which it found suggest "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been intentional" - including messages from as early as 2022.

"This matter concerning the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the AIU will continue to investigate the questionable evidence recovered from Chepngetich's phone to ascertain if any further infractions have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When interviewed in April by the AIU, Chepngetich, the initial female to run a marathon in under 2:10, was unable to give an reason for the positive test.

While HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, the athlete's test showed an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL.

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

At a subsequent meeting on 11 July, Chepngetich was presented with the previously mentioned questionable proof obtained from her mobile. Meanwhile, accidental exposure had also been disproven by the AIU.

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

The AIU had "serious reservations about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the context of the sport's doping rules, such "carelessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month penalty applies".

An automatic one-year reduction was granted after the runner confessed to the anti-doping breaches within the specified 20-day period.

The three-year ban started on April 19 - when Chepngetich accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the runner's results, awards, championships, appearance and prize money since March 14 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."

"Marathon organizers should be praised for jointly supporting anti-doping efforts able to uncovering doping violations committed by top competitors in their races."