Ruth Chepngetich surpassed the previous Tigst Assefa's female marathon global best by almost 120 seconds at the marathon event in Chicago in the year 2024.
Female long-distance world record-holder the athlete has been banned for three years after the Kenyan acknowledged doping infractions.
Chepngetich was temporarily banned in the seventh month following a failed test for a banned substance - a prohibited substance often utilized as a concealing drug - on 14 March.
Chepngetich's accomplishments which occurred before that sample - including her global best time of two hours, nine minutes and 56 seconds in Chicago in 2024 - will remain valid.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a four-year suspension but the 31-year-old penalty was reduced to 36 months because she admitted to the violations.
However, the AIU will keep examining proof from the athlete's phone which it found indicate "strong grounds that her positive test may have been intentional" - including messages dating back to the year 2022.
"This matter concerning the positive test for HCTZ has been settled, but the unit will keep looking into the questionable evidence found on the runner's phone to ascertain if any further infractions have occurred."
'Nobody is above the rules'
When interviewed in the fourth month by the AIU, Chepngetich, the first woman to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, could not provide an explanation for the positive test.
While the substance has a minimum reporting level of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in urine, the athlete's sample showed an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL.
Small amounts of HCTZ under the minimal reporting level were also identified in a test taken from the runner two weeks earlier, on February 28.
At a later interview on July 11, the record holder was presented with the aforementioned questionable proof acquired from her mobile. In the meantime, accidental exposure had also been disproven by the authority.
Chepngetich changed her explanation on July 31, claiming that she had used her housemaid's medication - labeled as being HCTZ - after becoming ill two days before the failed test.
The AIU had "major doubts about the credibility of the revised account" and, in the context of the athletics' doping regulations, such "recklessness" is deemed "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month sanction is applicable".
An automatic one-year reduction was applied after the runner admitted the doping rule violations within the specified 20-day period.
The three-year ban commenced on April 19 - when the athlete accepted a temporary ban - with the competitor's performances, honors, titles, participation and prize money since March 14 lost.
"Nobody is exempt from regulations."
"While unfortunate for those who put their trust in this athlete, this is how the system is supposed to work."
"The road-running industry should be praised for collectively funding anti-doping efforts able to uncovering doping violations committed by top competitors in their races."
