Women’s marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been banned for three years by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after admitting to using a banned substance.
The 31-year-old Kenyan tested positive for the diuretic Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) from a sample collected on 14 March 2025. She was provisionally suspended in July before accepting the charges.
Chepngetich, a former World Marathon champion and three-time Chicago Marathon winner, initially gave a different explanation for the result. The AIU had sought a four-year suspension, but it was reduced to three after she admitted the violation.
According to the AIU, Chepngetich later claimed she had fallen ill and mistakenly took her housemaid’s medication without checking its contents. She provided a photo of the blister pack, which clearly identified Hydrochlorothiazide.
Tests found a concentration of around 3,800ng/mL of the substance — well above the 20ng/mL threshold set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
“The case regarding the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the AIU will continue to investigate the suspicious material recovered from Chepng’etich’s phone to determine if any other violations have occurred. In the meantime, all Chepng’etich’s achievements and records pre-dating the 14 March 2025 sample stand,” said AIU Head Brett Clothier.
