Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich won the 2024 Chicago Marathon in the jaw-dropping world-fastest time of 2:09:56. Immediately, the athletics world breathed a collective, “No way.”
She has now been banned for three years. Apparently, the record will stand. Unknown at this time is whether there is any way that the record can be removed and prize money returned. It is unlikely.
Like Wang Junxia of China and her fellow athletes training in Ma’s Army, forever, her performance will be referred to as doped.
It is a bad look for the sport.
Her personal best leading up to the 2024 race was 2:14:18 from the 2022 Chicago Marathon. The difference in time is massive at that level.
The second-fastest time in history is 2:12:53 by Ethiopian Tigst Assefa. That time was also considered unlikely. However, she has never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Athletics Integrity Unit
From the Athletics Integrity Unit: Women’s marathon world record-holder, Ruth Chepng’etich of Kenya, has been banned for three years by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). The suspension comes after admitting to Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) regarding the presence and use of Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ).
The 31-year-old, 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 taken on March 14, 2025 and a subsequent AIU investigation into the
circumstances.
Whilst diuretics are known to be abused by athletes to mask the presence in urine of other prohibited substances, HCTZ has also been identified as a potential contaminant in pharmaceutical products. It has been ascribed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) a minimum reporting limit of 20ng/ml, below which a positive test should not be reported. An estimated concentration of 3800ng/mL
of HCTZ was found in the positive urine sample of Chepng’etich.
When initially interviewed by AIU investigators on April 16, 2025, Chepng’etich could not explain the positive test. At this time, to rule out the possibility of contamination, evidence was collected from her, including her detailed recollection of all the supplements and medications she had taken in the lead up to the positive test, and all available supplements and medications in her possession were immediately retained by the AIU for analysis.
Chepng’etich’s mobile phone was also copied for analysis.
At a subsequent interview, on 11 July 2025, Chepng’etich was confronted with evidence acquired taken for analysis had been reported by a WADA-accredited laboratory as negative for HCTZ. Chepngetich maintained her position at the second interview that she could not explain
the positive test and that she had never doped.
On July 31, 2025, Chepng’etich changed her previous explanation. She wrote 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, without taking any steps to verify if it contained a prohibited substance. 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’
Investigate the suspicious material recovered from Chepng’etich’s phone to determine if any other violations have occurred. In the meantime, all Chepng’etich’s achievements and records pre-dating the 14 March 2025 sample stand,” said AIU Head Brett Clothier.
Meanwhile, AIU Chair David Howman noted this case underlines that “nobody is above the rules” and lauded the industry’s commitment to the integrity of the sport.
“While disappointing for those who put their trust in this athlete, this is how the system is supposed to work. The road-running industry should be commended for collectively funding anti-doping efforts capable of uncovering doping violations committed by elite athletes in their
events. 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.”
