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

The record holder was temporarily banned in July following a failed test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a banned diuretic often utilized as a masking agent - on March 14.

Chepngetich's achievements which pre-date that sample - including her global best performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in the Chicago event in October 2024 - will still stand.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a four-year suspension but the runner's penalty was reduced to three years because she confessed to the violations.

However, the integrity unit will continue to investigate proof from Chepngetich's phone which it found suggest "strong grounds that her positive test may have been intentional" - including communications dating back to the year 2022.

"The case 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 ascertain if any other violations have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When interviewed in the fourth month by the AIU, Chepngetich, the first woman to run a marathon in under 2:10, was unable to give an explanation for the positive test.

Although the substance has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in urine, the athlete's test showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.

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

At a subsequent meeting on July 11, the record holder was shown 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 housemaid's medication - labeled as being HCTZ - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the positive test.

The AIU had "major doubts about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the context of the sport's anti-doping rules, such "carelessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month penalty is applicable".

An automatic one-year reduction was granted after Chepngetich confessed to the doping rule violations within the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension commenced on April 19 - when the athlete agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's results, awards, titles, participation and prize money from March 14 forfeited.

"Nobody is exempt from regulations."

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

"The road-running industry should be praised for collectively funding anti-doping efforts able to uncovering doping violations performed by top competitors in their races."