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Women's marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been banned for 36 months after the Kenyan acknowledged anti-doping infractions.

Chepngetich was provisionally suspended in July following a positive test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance used commonly as a concealing drug - on 14 March.

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 2024 - will remain valid.

The sports governing body had sought a 48-month suspension but the runner's punishment was reduced to three years because she confessed to the infractions.

Nonetheless, the integrity unit will keep examining proof from the athlete's mobile device which it found suggest "strong grounds that her positive test may have been intentional" - including messages from as early as the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the failed test for HCTZ has been settled, but the unit will keep looking into the questionable evidence found on Chepngetich's device to ascertain if any other violations have taken place."

'Nobody is above the rules'

When questioned in April by the integrity body, the marathoner, the first woman to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, was unable to give an reason for the positive test.

Although the substance has a lowest detectable limit of 20 ng/mL in samples, the athlete's test showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

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

At a later interview on 11 July, Chepngetich was shown the previously mentioned questionable proof acquired from her mobile. Meanwhile, contamination had also been disproven by the AIU.

The athlete altered her story on July 31, claiming that she had used her domestic worker's pills - marked as being the banned substance - after becoming ill 48 hours prior to the failed test.

The AIU had "serious reservations about the reliability of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the sport's anti-doping regulations, such "carelessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an increased four-year penalty is applicable".

An standard 12-month decrease was applied after the runner admitted the doping rule violations within the 20 days required.

The 36-month suspension started on 19 April - when Chepngetich accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the competitor's results, honors, championships, participation and prize money from March 14 forfeited.

"No one is above the rules."

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

"The road-running industry should be commended for collectively funding anti-doping efforts capable of revealing substance abuses performed by top competitors in their races."