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Women's marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been suspended for three years after the runner confessed to doping infractions.

The record holder was temporarily banned in the seventh month following a positive test for a banned substance - a banned diuretic often utilized 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 2024 - will remain valid.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a four-year suspension but the runner's punishment was reduced to 36 months because she confessed to the infractions.

However, the integrity unit will keep examining proof from the athlete's mobile device which it found suggest "strong grounds that her failed test may have been intentional" - including communications dating back to 2022.

"This matter concerning the failed test for HCTZ has been settled, but the unit will continue to investigate the questionable evidence recovered from the runner's device to ascertain if any other violations have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in April by the integrity body, Chepngetich, the initial female to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an reason for the failed test.

While HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, the athlete's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

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

At a later interview on July 11, Chepngetich was presented with the previously mentioned questionable proof acquired from her mobile. Meanwhile, contamination had also been ruled out by the authority.

The athlete altered her story on July 31, stating that she had used her domestic worker's pills - marked as being the banned substance - after becoming ill two days before the failed test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the athletics' doping rules, such "carelessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an increased four-year sanction is applicable".

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

The three-year ban started on 19 April - when the athlete accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's performances, awards, championships, participation and prize money from March 14 lost.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"While unfortunate for those who had faith in this athlete, this is how the system is supposed to work."

"The road-running industry should be commended for collectively funding doping prevention able to uncovering substance abuses performed by elite athletes in their races."