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Female long-distance global champion Ruth Chepngetich has been suspended for 36 months after the Kenyan confessed to anti-doping rule violations.

The record holder was provisionally suspended in July following a positive test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a prohibited substance often utilized as a masking agent - on March 14.

The athlete's accomplishments which occurred before that test - such as her global best performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in 2024 - will still stand.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a four-year suspension but the runner's punishment was lowered to three years because she admitted to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the AIU will continue to investigate proof from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found suggest "strong grounds that her failed test may have been intentional" - featuring messages from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the failed test for the substance has been settled, but the AIU will continue to investigate the questionable evidence recovered from the runner's phone to determine if any other violations have occurred."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in April by the integrity body, the marathoner, the initial female to complete a marathon in under 2:10, could not provide an explanation for the positive test.

While the substance has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, the athlete's test showed an approximate level of 3,800 ng/mL.

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

At a subsequent meeting on 11 July, Chepngetich was presented with the aforementioned suspicious evidence obtained from her mobile. In the meantime, contamination had also been ruled out by the AIU.

The athlete changed her explanation on July 31, claiming that she had used her domestic worker's pills - labeled as being HCTZ - after falling sick two days before the positive test.

The unit had "major doubts about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the context of the athletics' anti-doping regulations, such "recklessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month penalty is applicable".

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

The three-year ban commenced on 19 April - when Chepngetich agreed to a temporary ban - with the competitor's results, honors, championships, appearance and prize money from 14 March forfeited.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

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

"The road-running industry should be praised for jointly supporting anti-doping efforts able to uncovering substance abuses performed by top competitors in their races."