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Female long-distance world record-holder the athlete has been banned for 36 months after the Kenyan confessed to doping infractions.

Chepngetich was temporarily banned in July following a failed test for a banned substance - a banned diuretic used commonly as a masking agent - on 14 March.

Chepngetich's achievements which pre-date that sample - such as her world record performance of 2:09:56 in Chicago in October 2024 - will remain valid.

The sports governing body had requested a four-year suspension but the 31-year-old punishment was reduced to three years because she admitted to the violations.

However, the AIU will keep examining evidence from the athlete's mobile device which it found indicate "strong grounds that her failed test may have been deliberate" - featuring messages dating back to the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the failed test for the substance has been resolved, but the unit will continue to investigate the questionable evidence found on Chepngetich's phone to determine if any further infractions have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When interviewed in April by the AIU, the marathoner, the first woman to run a marathon in under 2:10, could not provide an explanation for the positive test.

Although the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in samples, Chepngetich's test showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

Small amounts of HCTZ below the minimal reporting level were also identified in a sample collected from the runner 14 days prior, on 28 February.

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, Chepngetich was presented with the aforementioned questionable proof acquired from her mobile. Meanwhile, contamination had also been disproven by the authority.

The athlete altered her story on 31 July, claiming that she had taken her housemaid's pills - marked as being HCTZ - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The AIU had "serious reservations about the reliability of the revised account" and, in the context of the sport's doping regulations, such "recklessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month sanction is applicable".

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

The 36-month suspension commenced on April 19 - when the athlete accepted a temporary ban - with the runner's results, awards, titles, appearance and earnings from 14 March forfeited.

"Nobody is above the rules."

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

"Marathon organizers should be commended for jointly supporting anti-doping efforts capable of uncovering doping violations performed by top competitors in their races."