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

The record holder was provisionally suspended in July following a failed test for a banned substance - a banned diuretic used commonly as a concealing drug - on March 14.

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

The sports governing body had requested a four-year ban but the 31-year-old penalty was lowered to three years because she admitted to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will continue to investigate proof from Chepngetich's phone which it found suggest "strong grounds that her failed test may have been deliberate" - including messages from as early as 2022.

"The case concerning the positive test for HCTZ has been settled, but the unit will continue to investigate the suspicious material recovered from the runner's phone to ascertain if any further infractions have occurred."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When interviewed in the fourth month by the integrity body, the marathoner, the initial female to complete a marathon in under 2:10, was unable to give an explanation for the failed test.

Although the substance has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in urine, Chepngetich's test showed an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of the diuretic below the minimal reporting level were also found in a sample taken from the runner 14 days prior, on 28 February.

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

The athlete altered her story on July 31, claiming that she had used her domestic worker's medication - labeled as being the banned substance - after becoming ill two days before the positive test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the context of the athletics' doping regulations, such "carelessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month penalty is applicable".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after the runner admitted the doping breaches inside the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension commenced on April 19 - when the athlete agreed to a temporary ban - with the runner's results, awards, championships, participation and earnings since 14 March lost.

"Nobody is above the rules."

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

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