The Kenyan runner exceeded Ethiopian Tigst Assefa's female marathon global best by almost 120 seconds at the Chicago Marathon in the year 2024.
Female long-distance global champion the athlete has been suspended for 36 months after the Kenyan admitted to doping rule violations.
The record holder was temporarily banned in July following a positive test for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) - a banned diuretic used commonly as a masking agent - on March 14.
Chepngetich's achievements which occurred before that sample - such as her global best performance of 2:09:56 in the Chicago event in 2024 - will remain valid.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) had requested a 48-month ban but the runner's punishment was lowered to three years because she admitted to the infractions.
However, the integrity unit will keep examining evidence from the athlete's phone which it found indicate "a reasonable suspicion that her failed test may have been intentional" - featuring communications dating back to 2022.
"The case concerning the failed test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the AIU will keep looking into the suspicious material recovered from the runner's device to ascertain if any further infractions have occurred."
'No one is exempt from regulations'
When questioned in April by the AIU, the marathoner, the initial female to complete a marathon in under 2:10, could not provide an explanation for the positive test.
While HCTZ has a lowest detectable limit of 20 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) in samples, the athlete's sample showed an approximate level of 3800 ng/mL.
Traces of the diuretic below the detection threshold were also identified in a sample taken from the runner 14 days prior, on 28 February.
At a subsequent meeting on July 11, Chepngetich was shown the aforementioned questionable proof acquired from her phone. In the meantime, contamination had also been disproven by the AIU.
The athlete changed her explanation on 31 July, stating that she had taken her domestic worker's pills - labeled as being the banned substance - after falling sick 48 hours prior to the positive test.
The AIU had "major doubts about the credibility of the new version of events" and, in the framework of the athletics' anti-doping regulations, such "carelessness" is considered "indirect intent, for which an longer 48-month sanction applies".
An standard 12-month decrease was granted after the runner admitted the anti-doping rule violations within the 20 days required.
The 36-month suspension commenced on April 19 - when Chepngetich accepted a voluntary provisional suspension - with the runner's performances, awards, titles, participation and prize money since March 14 forfeited.
"Nobody is above the rules."
"While unfortunate for those who put their trust in this runner, this is how the system is designed to operate."
"Marathon organizers should be commended for collectively funding anti-doping efforts able to uncovering doping violations committed by top competitors in their events."
