Ruth Chepngetich Handed Three-Year Ban After Admitting To Anti-Doping Rule Violation
Sports Updated: 23 October 2025 21:28 EAT
Ruth Chepng'etich
Kenyan marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich has been banned for three years by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after admitting to violating anti-doping regulations. The ruling follows her provisional suspension in July 2025, which came after testing positive for a banned diuretic, hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ).
According to the AIU, the positive sample was collected on March 14, 2025, and showed a concentration of the prohibited substance far exceeding the allowable limit. Initially, Chepngetich denied wrongdoing but later admitted to unintentionally ingesting the substance, claiming she had taken medication belonging to her housemaid while unwell.
The AIU described her conduct as reckless, citing indirect intent, but reduced the standard four-year sanction to three years after she accepted the charge and waived her right to a hearing. The ban has been backdated to April 19, 2025, and will run until April 19, 2028.
Despite the suspension, Chepngetich’s women’s marathon world record, set at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, remains intact, as the positive test occurred months after the event. The AIU has indicated that further investigations into additional material found on her phone are ongoing.
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FELIX MAKONA
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