Ruth Chepng’etich, who shattered the ladies’s marathon world document final fall in Chicago by almost two total minutes, has formally been banned for anti-doping guidelines violations. The official sanction was introduced on Thursday by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), stating the Kenyan shall be banned for 3 years–however her world document will stand.
The AIU has banned Ruth Chepng’etich (Kenya) for 3 years from 19 April 2025 for the Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Hydrochlorothiazide). DQ outcomes from 14 March 2025.
Particulars right here: https://t.co/RcCvVdqd59https://t.co/xMfjO7gxJshttps://t.co/juFqZJbebz pic.twitter.com/GxHB7RVUIS
— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) October 23, 2025
Chepng’etich, obtained a provisional suspension in July after the banned substance hydrochlorothiazide (HTCZ) was detected in a urine pattern collected on March 14, 2025. “All Chepng’etich’s achievements and data pre-dating the 14 March 2025 pattern stand,” AIU Head Brett Clothier stated within the AIU press launch.
The AIU stories that in her two preliminary interviews in April and once more in early July, Chepng’etich couldn’t present a proof for the optimistic checks. However on July 31, the athlete acknowledged she had forgotten to report back to the AIU that she had taken unwell two days earlier than the optimistic take a look at and brought her housemaid’s remedy to deal with her signs, with out checking if it contained a banned substance. The picture she despatched of the remedy package deal clearly marks the drug as ‘Hydrochlorothiazide’.
The usual sanction for HTCZ is 2 years, however the AIU deemed her behaviour in taking her housemaid’s remedy “reckless,” thus growing her sanction to 4 years. On August 22, 2025, Chepng’etich admitted the rule violations and accepted her sanction inside 20 days, granting her an automated discount of 1 yr because of the Early Admission and Acceptance of Sanction provision.
“The AIU will proceed to research the suspicious materials recovered from Chepng’etich’s cellphone to find out if some other violations have occurred,” Clothier stated.
