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Female long-distance global champion Ruth Chepngetich has been suspended for 36 months after the runner acknowledged doping infractions.

Chepngetich was temporarily banned in the seventh month following a failed test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance used commonly as a masking agent - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's achievements which occurred before that test - such as her global best time of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will remain valid.

The sports governing body had requested a four-year suspension 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 evidence from Chepngetich's phone which it found indicate "strong grounds that her positive test may have been deliberate" - including messages dating back to the year 2022.

"This matter concerning the failed test for HCTZ has been settled, but the AIU will keep looking into the suspicious material recovered from Chepngetich's phone to determine if any further infractions have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in April by the integrity body, Chepngetich, the first woman to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an explanation for the positive test.

Although the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in urine, the athlete's test showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of the diuretic under the minimal reporting level were also identified in a sample taken from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on 28 February.

At a later interview on 11 July, Chepngetich was shown the previously mentioned suspicious evidence acquired from her mobile. Meanwhile, accidental exposure 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 - labeled as being HCTZ - after becoming ill two days before the positive test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the context of the sport's doping regulations, such "recklessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month sanction applies".

An standard 12-month decrease was applied after Chepngetich admitted the anti-doping breaches within the specified 20-day period.

The three-year ban commenced on April 19 - when Chepngetich accepted a temporary ban - with the runner's performances, honors, championships, participation and earnings from 14 March lost.

"No one is above the rules."

"While unfortunate 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 collectively funding doping prevention capable of revealing substance abuses performed by top competitors in their races."