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Women's marathon world record-holder the athlete has been banned for three years after the Kenyan acknowledged anti-doping rule violations.

The record holder was temporarily banned in July following a failed test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance often utilized as a masking agent - on March 14.

The athlete's achievements which occurred before that sample - such as her world record time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in Chicago in 2024 - will still stand.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had sought a four-year ban but the 31-year-old punishment was lowered to 36 months because she confessed to the violations.

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

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

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When interviewed in the fourth month by the integrity body, the marathoner, the initial female to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an reason for the failed test.

While the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in samples, the athlete's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of the diuretic below the minimal reporting level were also found in a test taken from Chepngetich two weeks earlier, on 28 February.

At a later interview on 11 July, the record holder was shown the previously mentioned questionable proof acquired from her phone. In the meantime, accidental exposure had also been disproven by the authority.

Chepngetich changed her explanation on 31 July, claiming that she had used her domestic worker's pills - marked as being HCTZ - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the failed test.

The unit had "major doubts about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the context of the athletics' doping rules, such "carelessness" is considered "implied intention, for which an increased four-year penalty is applicable".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after the runner confessed to the anti-doping breaches inside the specified 20-day period.

The 36-month suspension started on 19 April - when Chepngetich accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's performances, awards, championships, participation and earnings since March 14 forfeited.

"No one is exempt from regulations."

"Although disappointing 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 jointly supporting anti-doping efforts capable of uncovering substance abuses committed by elite athletes in their races."