Last week, Ruth Chepngetich, the female marathon world record holder, was provisionally suspended for the use of a banned substance.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced that the Kenyan tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide (HTCZ), a banned diuretic which can be used to mask performance-enhanced drugs. She chose to begin a voluntary provisional suspension as the case is further investigated.
Her failed sample was taken on 14 March 2025, not after her record-breaking 2:09:56 run at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. But the news raises many questions, and many issues relevant to fellow elite runners and running fans.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT RUTH CHEPNGETICH’S CASE SO FAR
Let’s Run has put together a timeline of 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.
14 March 2025: Chepngetich undergoes an out-of-competition drug test.
3 April 2025: Chepngetich’s positive test for HCTZ is reported to the AIU.
16 April 2025: AIU representatives notify Chepngetich of the test result and conduct an interview with her.
18 April 2025: Chepngetich withdraws from the London Marathon, claiming she was “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.
17 July 2025: AIU announces provisional suspension of Chepngetich and charges her with anti-doping rule violation.
Chepngetich’s withdrawal from the London Marathon is significant. She could have run the race pending the investigation, and could have claimed her large appearance fee for the race, but by volunteering to start her ban immediately could it suggest she knows the result of the trial?
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.
No female marathon world record holder has ever been suspended or banned on anti-doping charges. That’s significant news in itself, but there are many wider issues surrounding this case.
Loss of trust. Every time a runner is found guilty of a drug violation it tarnishes the reputation of the sport, which is unfair on fans and on every clean athlete.
Fans feel the frustration. As running fans, we want to believe that all athletes compete fairly and we want to celebrate incredible performances. We train hard ourselves and we admire watching the world’s best athletes. We feel cheated when we hear that they have cheated.
Unfair results. Athletes who finished behind Chepngetich in any race may question how things could have been different for them. And not just in the race. It could’ve meant higher placements for them, different medals, more prize money, more sponsorship, and more career opportunities and progression.
Unnecessary strain. These results could also lead elite athletes to be training towards elevated goals which have been achieved in unfair ways. That could be a huge extra strain which may lead to injury and burnout, and career regression.
Questions of other results. Chepngetich hasn’t failed a drug test before this, but it doesn’t mean she hasn’t doped before. That’s what other athletes will be questioning. And while this test was months after her record-breaking run it leaves many wondering about the legitimacy of her 2:09.
Questions of anti-doping procedures. Is enough being done for drug testing and finding cheats?
Questions of punishments for cheats. Are short bans enough? Should backdated results be removed from official records?
WHAT ARE OTHER ATHLETES SAYING?
In October there were calls that Chepngetich’s run was ‘too good to be true’ and the legitimacy of the run was questioned. Now there’s a lot of frustration over the failed test, and a lot of athletes are sharing their thoughts about what it means to them and their careers.
Emily Sisson, who finished second to Chepngetich at the 2022 Chicago Marathon, wrote a message of frustration, and one of hope to young and aspiring athletes:
‘Ignorance is bliss’ is how you have to operate on a starting line to give yourself a shot and not count yourself out of any race. Plus, you can have your own gut instinct but you can never really know.
What has been something that has been hard for me to swallow lately, is feeling like trying to keep up has really taken a toll on my body. I try to keep things light and positive but when news like this breaks it feels like a punch in the gut.
To any young athletes out there that might think everyone is cheating or must have a TUE [therapeutic use exemption], I know you can only take my word, but I promise it is possible to make it to the world stage without doing so. Don’t lose hope. ❤️Em Sisson via Instagram
Australian Olympic marathoner Genevieve Gregson shared her views with nine.com.au:
“I’ve had to accept that I, and many athletes I know, have been cheated out of more prize money, medals, higher rankings and loss of sponsorship earnings due to drug cheats. But you just have to get on with it because that’s the reality of our sport.”
In the same story, fellow Australian Olympic Jessica Stenson said:
“Where it gets tricky is when you’re trying to hit inflated global standards to make teams and get into major races, meaning that others’ results impact on your opportunities to compete against the best and see your own potential.”
Doped performances shift the standards for all runners. The women’s Olympic marathon qualifying time is a great example: for Rio 2016 it was 2:45:00, and eight years later it was 2:26:50. In the same period the men’s time dropped from 2:19:00 to 2:08:10.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT FOR CHEPNGETICH?
There’s an unfortunate irony that Chepngetich was caught using a substance which is intended as a masking agent. For many running fans that deceit makes it worse.
For now, Chepngetich has accepted and started a provisional suspension. She can choose to appeal via an AIU Disciplinary Tribunal.
Whether she faces a trial or not, if she is found guilty of doping then she will likely be given a two-year competition ban, meaning she could return in mid-April 2027. The ban could be higher if found guilty of deliberately trying to conceal something else.
As the test was taken five months after her world record run, which was ratified by World Athletics (meaning there was no proof of doping in the run), it’s likely that her marathon time will remain as the world record. She is also likely to keep the prize money for winning the Chicago Marathon and breaking the record.
Commentators are questioning whether reform is needed in dealing with drug violations. Should they have their record removed from the previous 12 months? Should their agents or managers face a financial penalty or a ban if their athletes are caught doping? What can be done to remove drug cheats from our sport?
For now there are more questions than answers.
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Photo by Michael Reaves / Getty Images
