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Female long-distance world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been suspended for three years after the Kenyan confessed to anti-doping rule violations.

The record holder was temporarily banned in July following a positive test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance used commonly as a concealing drug - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's achievements which pre-date that test - such as her global best performance of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in 2024 - will remain valid.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a 48-month ban but the runner's punishment was lowered to three years because she admitted to the violations.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will keep examining evidence from the athlete's phone which it found indicate "strong grounds that her failed test may have been deliberate" - including communications from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the positive test for the substance has been settled, but the unit will keep looking into the suspicious material recovered from Chepngetich's phone to determine if any further infractions have occurred."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When interviewed in the fourth month by the AIU, the marathoner, the first woman to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an explanation for the positive test.

While HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 ng/mL in urine, Chepngetich's sample showed an approximate level of 3,800 ng/mL.

Traces of the diuretic below the minimal reporting level were also found in a test taken from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, Chepngetich was shown the previously mentioned suspicious evidence obtained from her mobile. Meanwhile, contamination had also been disproven by the AIU.

Chepngetich altered her story on July 31, stating that she had used her domestic worker's medication - marked as being the banned substance - after falling sick 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the athletics' anti-doping rules, such "recklessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month penalty applies".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after the runner confessed to the doping rule violations within the specified 20-day period.

The three-year ban started on 19 April - when Chepngetich accepted a temporary ban - with the runner's results, honors, championships, participation and prize money since 14 March lost.

"Nobody is above the rules."

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

"The road-running industry should be praised for jointly supporting doping prevention capable of uncovering doping violations committed by elite athletes in their races."