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Female long-distance global champion the athlete has been banned for 36 months after the runner acknowledged anti-doping infractions.

Chepngetich was provisionally suspended in July following a positive test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a banned diuretic used commonly as a masking agent - on 14 March.

The athlete's accomplishments which occurred before that sample - such as her global best performance of 2:09:56 in Chicago in 2024 - will still stand.

The sports governing body had sought a four-year suspension but the 31-year-old punishment was lowered to three years because she admitted to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the AIU will keep examining proof from the athlete's phone which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been intentional" - featuring messages dating back to the year 2022.

"The case concerning the positive test for the substance has been resolved, but the AIU will keep looking into the suspicious material recovered from the runner's phone to ascertain if any further infractions have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in the fourth month by the integrity body, Chepngetich, the initial female to run a marathon in under 2:10, was unable to give an reason for the failed test.

While HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in urine, the athlete's sample showed an approximate level of 3,800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of the diuretic under the minimal reporting level were also found in a test collected from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on 11 July, Chepngetich was presented with the aforementioned questionable proof acquired from her phone. In the meantime, accidental exposure had also been disproven by the authority.

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

The AIU had "major doubts about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the context of the sport's doping rules, such "carelessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an increased four-year penalty is applicable".

An automatic one-year reduction was granted after the runner admitted the anti-doping rule violations inside the specified 20-day period.

The 36-month suspension started on April 19 - when the athlete agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's results, awards, titles, appearance and prize money from March 14 lost.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"While unfortunate for those who put their trust in this athlete, this is how the system is designed to operate."

"The road-running industry should be praised for collectively funding anti-doping efforts able to uncovering doping violations committed by top competitors in their events."