The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has banned Women’s marathon record-holder Ruth Chepng’etich for three years after admitting to Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) regarding the presence and use of Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ).
The 31-year-old Kenyan, a former World marathon champion and a three-time winner of the Chicago Marathon, accepted the charges and sanction following a positive test for the banned diuretic from a sample on 14 March this year and a subsequent AIU investigation into the circumstances.
Ruth Chepng’etich Banned
The 31-year-old Kenyan, a former World marathon champion and a three-time winner of the Chicago Marathon, accepted the charges and sanction following a positive test for the banned diuretic from a sample on 14 March this year and a subsequent AIU investigation into the circumstances.
Chepng’etich’s urine sample showed 3,800ng/mL of HCTZ—far above the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) reporting threshold of 20ng/mL.
While HCTZ can sometimes appear in contaminated medications, the AIU ruled out this possibility after testing all supplements and medicines in her possession, but none contained the banned substance.
Timeline of Events
- 16 April 2025: Chepng’etich was interviewed by AIU investigators. She said she had no explanation for the positive test. Investigators collected her supplements, medications, and copied her mobile phone for analysis.
- 11 July 2025: AIU confronted her with suspicious material found on her phone, suggesting possible intentional doping. She continued to deny wrongdoing.
- 31 July 2025: Chepng’etich changed her story. She claimed she had fallen ill two days before the test and had taken her housemaid’s medication without checking its contents. She later sent a photo of the blister pack, which was clearly marked “Hydrochlorothiazide.”
Indirect Intent
The AIU rejected her explanation as hardly credible.
Under anti-doping rules, taking another person’s medication without checking for banned substances is considered “indirect intent.”
This raised the standard two-year ban to four years.
However, because Chepng’etich admitted the violation and accepted the sanction within 20 days, she received a one-year reduction.
Her final ban is three years, effective from the date of the charge.
AIU Head Brett Clothier confirmed that Chepng’etich’s results and records before 14 March 2025 will remain intact.
However, the AIU is continuing to investigate the suspicious content found on her phone to determine if further violations occurred.
Industry Praised for Funding Investigations
AIU Chair David Howman said the case shows that nobody is above the rules.
He praised the road-running industry for funding the anti-doping programme that made the investigation possible.
“While disappointing for those who put their trust in this athlete, this is how the system is supposed to work. The level of testing and investigative activity carried out in this case was possible because of the funding provided to the World Athletics Label Road Race Programme by many races such as the Chicago Marathon, athlete representatives, athletes and four contributing shoe brands, adidas, ASICS, On and Nike.”
About the AIU
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) is an independent body created by World Athletics to manage all integrity issues in the sport. Its remit includes:
- Anti-doping
- Age or results manipulation
- Fraudulent transfers of allegiance
- Bribery and betting rule violations
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The AIU’s mission is to protect clean athletes and uphold the credibility of athletics worldwide.
Chepng’etich’s Rise and Fall
Ruth Chepng’etich emerged as one of Kenya’s most dominant long-distance runners.
She burst onto the global scene in 2017, winning the Istanbul Marathon, a title she defended in 2018 with a course record of 2:18:35.
That same year, she claimed silver at the World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia.
In 2019, she won the Dubai Marathon in 2:17:08, setting a new course record, and later that year, she captured gold at the World Athletics Championships in Doha under extreme heat.
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Chepng’etich continued her dominance in 2021, winning the Chicago Marathon and running one of the fastest half-marathons in history—1:04:02—in Istanbul.
She defended her Chicago title in 2022 and placed second in 2023.
Her crowning moment came in 2024, when she shattered the women’s marathon world record at the Chicago Marathon, clocking 2:09:56, the first woman to break both the 2:11 and 2:10 barriers.
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