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Female long-distance world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been suspended for three years after the Kenyan acknowledged anti-doping infractions.

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

The athlete's achievements which pre-date that sample - including her world record performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds 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 lowered to three years because she confessed to the violations.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will keep examining evidence from Chepngetich's mobile device which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been deliberate" - including messages dating back to the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the AIU will keep looking into the suspicious material recovered from the runner's phone to determine if any further infractions have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When interviewed in the fourth month by the AIU, the marathoner, the initial female to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an reason for the failed test.

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

Small amounts of the diuretic below the detection threshold were also found in a sample taken from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on February 28.

At a later interview on 11 July, the record holder was shown the aforementioned suspicious evidence acquired from her phone. Meanwhile, contamination had also been disproven by the authority.

The athlete altered her story on 31 July, claiming that she had used her housemaid's medication - labeled as being the banned substance - after falling sick two days before the positive test.

The unit had "serious reservations about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the context of the athletics' doping rules, such "carelessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month sanction is applicable".

An automatic one-year reduction was applied after Chepngetich confessed to the anti-doping breaches inside the 20 days required.

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

"Nobody is exempt from regulations."

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

"Marathon organizers should be commended for jointly supporting anti-doping efforts able to revealing doping violations committed by top competitors in their races."