Women’s Marathon World Record-holder Chepngetich Handed Three-year Doping Ban

The women’s marathon world grounds holder, Ruth Chepngetich, has been banned for 3 years aft nan Athletics Integrity Unit rejected her declare that her grounded narcotics trial came from taking her housemaid’s medicine aft emotion basking and having a accelerated resting heartbeat.

The Kenyan stunned nan world erstwhile she ran 2hr 9min 56sec astatine nan Chicago marathon in 2024, a clip that shattered nan erstwhile champion by almost 2 minutes. However her capacity was instantly questioned by galore successful nan athletics world who felt it was excessively bully to beryllium true.

But while nan 31-year-old will not beryllium capable to title again until 2028, she will beryllium allowed to support her world grounds because her affirmative narcotics trial came aft her tally successful Chicago. That will time off a sour sensation successful nan rima for galore people. However, nan AIU chair David Howman insisted that nan lawsuit proved that “nobody is supra nan rules”

“While disappointing for those who put their spot successful this athlete, this is really nan strategy is expected to work,” he added.

Chepngetich had been owed to tally successful this year’s London marathon but pulled retired conscionable days earlier aft a urine trial successful March recovered an estimated attraction of 3800ng/mL of nan diuretic Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) successful her strategy – acold supra nan ineligible limit of 20ng/mL.

Diuretics whitethorn beryllium abused to disguise nan beingness successful urine of different prohibited substances. However, erstwhile interviewed by AIU investigators successful April, Chepngnetich was incapable to supply an mentation for her affirmative test.

At a consequent question and reply successful July, nan AIU said it past confronted her pinch grounds acquired from her mobile telephone indicating a reasonable suspicion that her affirmative trial whitethorn person been intentional.

Shortly afterwards, Chepngnetich wrote to nan AIU to authorities that she now recalled that she had taken sick 2 days earlier nan affirmative trial – but had forgotten to mention it.

“She claimed that she had knowledgeable symptoms of sweating, weakness and tachycardia and, since she knew that her housemaid had knowledgeable akin symptoms, asked her housemaid for nan medicine that she had been taking,” nan AIU investigation states.

Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya crosses nan decorativeness statement to triumph nan 2024 Chicago Marathon. Photograph: Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Investigators recovered specified claims to beryllium “hardly credible” and asked for her imaginable suspension to beryllium accrued from 2 years to four. Chepngnetich past accepted that she had committed an anti-doping norm usurpation and was banned for 3 years.

That, though, whitethorn not beryllium nan extremity of nan matter. The AIU said it had recovered screenshots connected Chepngnetich’s telephone astir nan banned supplier testosterone and “messages related to unidentified 3rd parties moving connected ‘programs’ perchance related to doping”.

“The lawsuit regarding nan affirmative trial for HCTZ has been resolved, but nan AIU will proceed to analyse nan suspicious worldly recovered from Chepngetich telephone to find if immoderate different violations person occurred, said AIU caput Brett Clothier.

“In nan meantime, each Chepngnetich’s achievements and records predating nan 14 March 2025 sample stand.”