Ethiopian athlete Ruth Chepngetich, who broke the world record at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, has been handed a three-year ban for violating anti-doping rules.
A sample taken on March 14 tested positive for a banned diuretic commonly used as a masking agent, Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). However, her previous results — including the world record — will remain valid.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) initially sought a four-year ban, but the 31-year-old athlete’s admission of the violation led to a one-year reduction in her sentence. While the minimum reporting threshold for HCTZ in urine is 20 nanograms per milliliter, Chepngetich’s sample contained a concentration of around 3,800 nanograms/mL.
Chepngetich did not comment publicly after the incident. However, on July 31, she changed her statement, claiming that she had been ill two days before the positive test and had accidentally taken a diuretic-containing medication belonging to her housemaid.
The AIU deemed this explanation unconvincing, noting that such “carelessness” constitutes “indirect intent” under anti-doping regulations — an offense that typically carries a four-year suspension.
Since the athlete admitted the violation within 20 days, her ban was reduced to three years. As a result, all of Chepngetich’s results, titles, awards, appearances, and prize money earned since March 14 have been disqualified.