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Female long-distance world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been suspended for 36 months after the Kenyan confessed to doping infractions.

Chepngetich was provisionally suspended in July following a positive test for a banned substance - a banned diuretic used commonly as a masking agent - on March 14.

Chepngetich's achievements which pre-date that sample - such as her world record performance of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in Chicago in October 2024 - will still stand.

The sports governing body had sought a 48-month ban but the runner's penalty was lowered to 36 months because she confessed to the violations.

Nonetheless, the AIU will keep examining evidence from the athlete's phone which it found indicate "strong grounds that her positive test may have been intentional" - including communications dating back to the year 2022.

"This matter regarding the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the AIU will continue to investigate the questionable evidence recovered from Chepngetich's phone to determine if any further infractions have taken place."

'No one is exempt from regulations'

When questioned in April by the AIU, the marathoner, the first woman to run a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an explanation for the positive test.

While HCTZ has a minimum reporting level of 20 ng/mL in urine, Chepngetich's sample showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.

Traces of HCTZ under the minimal reporting level were also identified in a test collected from Chepngetich 14 days prior, on 28 February.

At a later interview on July 11, Chepngetich was presented with the aforementioned questionable proof acquired from her phone. Meanwhile, contamination had also been disproven by the AIU.

Chepngetich altered her story on 31 July, stating that she had used her housemaid's pills - marked as being HCTZ - after becoming ill two days before the positive test.

The AIU had "serious reservations about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the context of the athletics' doping regulations, such "carelessness" is deemed "implied intention, for which an longer 48-month penalty is applicable".

An standard 12-month decrease was granted after Chepngetich confessed to the anti-doping breaches inside the specified 20-day period.

The 36-month suspension commenced on April 19 - when Chepngetich agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension - with the runner's results, awards, titles, participation and earnings from March 14 lost.

"No one is above the rules."

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

"The road-running industry should be praised for jointly supporting doping prevention capable of uncovering substance abuses performed by top competitors in their races."