The marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich has officially been handed a three year ban for anti-doping rules violations.
On 14 March 2025, the Kenyan tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a banned diuretic. Following a complete investigation by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), she has handed a four-year ban which was reduced to a three-year ban because she accepted the charge.
All performances prior to 14 March 2025 will remain as official results, including her marathon world record, though she continues to be under investigation due to suspicious content found on her phone, including messages dating back to 2022.
WHAT HAPPENED TO RUTH CHEPNGETICH? HERE’S THE FULL TIMELINE LEADING TO CHEPNGETICH’S BAN
This is the full timeline of Ruth Chepngetich’s case.
13 October 2024: Chepngetich runs her world record of 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon.
11 December 2024: World Athletics ratifies Chepngetich’s time as a world record.
28 February 2025: Chepngetich is subject to increased level of drug testing following her world record and leading into the 2025 London Marathon. She undergoes the first of six drug tests in the next four weeks, of which five are out of competition and one is following the Lisbon Half Marathon.
14 March 2025: Chepngetich undergoes an out-of-competition drug test.
3 April 2025: Chepngetich’s drug test from 14 March returns positive for HCTZ. The result is reported to the AIU.
16 April 2025: AIU representatives notify Chepngetich of the test result and conduct an interview with her. She cannot provide an explanation for the positive test. Medication and supplements (including gels and energy drink) she takes are sent for testing, and her mobile phone is copied and searched.
18 April 2025: Chepngetich withdraws from the London Marathon, claiming she is “not in the right place mentally or physically.”
19 April 2025: Chepngetich chooses to begin serving a voluntary provisional suspension as the AIU investigates her case.
11 July 2025: Chepngetich is interviewed again. This time she is shown evidence acquired from her mobile phone indicating a ‘reasonable suspicion that her positive test may have been intentional’ (including images and messages relating to testosterone). Her tested medication all come back negative for HCTZ. She still cannot explain the positive test.
17 July 2025: AIU announces provisional suspension of Chepngetich and charges her with anti-doping rule violation.
31 July 2025: Chepngetich writes to the AIU to state that she now recalled that she had taken ill two days before the positive test and she had taken her housemaid’s medication as treatment. She stated that she had forgotten to disclose this incident to the AIU investigators. She sent a photo of the medication blister pack which clearly marked the medication as being ‘Hydrochlorothiazide’.
22 August 2025: AIU considers this new evidence as ‘hardly credible.’ Anti Doping Rules treats the type of ‘recklessness’ described by Chepngetich in taking her housemaid’s medication as being ‘indirect intent’ and because of that they increased the standard two-year sanction for HCTZ to a four-year sanction. Chepngetich is notified of the ruling.
10 September 2025: Chepngetich admits the Anti-Doping Rule Violations within 20 days of being served it, so she is granted an automatic one-year reduction in the length of her punishment. She will serve a three-year doping ban (the ban will end on 19 April 2028).
23 October 2025: The news is announced of Chepngetich’s suspension. The AIU confirm that they are continuing to investigate ‘suspicious material recovered from Chepngetich’s phone to determine if any other violations have occurred.’ They also confirm that ‘all Chepngetich’s achievements and records pre-dating the 14 March 2025 sample stand.’ Full details of the case are available here.
DOES RUTH CHEPNGETICH’S MARATHON WORLD RECORD STILL STAND?
Yes. Despite being found guilty of an anti-doping rule violation, Ruth Chepngetich’s records and achievements prior to her failed test (14 March 2025) will still stand. This means she is still the women’s marathon world record holder.
WHAT IS HCTZ?
HCTZ is a diuretic that is also used to treat high blood pressure. It has a small tolerance in an athlete’s blood sample as it can be found as a contaminant in legal pharmaceutical products. Any athlete blood sample found with 20 ng/mL or more is reported as a positive test. Chepngetich’s sample contained a concentration of 3800 ng/mL – 190-times over the legal limit.
One reason an athlete may use HCTZ is that it can dilute the concentrations of other substances in the urine. It can remain traceable in the system for around three to four days.
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Photo by Michael Reaves / Getty Images
