The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has provisionally suspended marathon record holder Ruth Chepng'etich after she tested positive for prohibited substances.
In a statement on Thursday, July 17, the AIU stated that samples collected on March 14 showed the presence of Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ).
According to AIU Head Brett Clothier, Chepng'etich was later notified of the results and interviewed in person by the unit on April 16, where she complied with requests regarding the investigation.
Clothier added that three days after the interview, on April 19, Chepng'etich voluntarily opted for the provisional suspension while investigations into her case were ongoing.
"A Notice of Charge has been issued against Chepng’etich regarding the detection of the Prohibited Substance – a diuretic – following an investigation into the Kenyan athlete’s positive test, which was reported to the AIU on 3 April this year, at an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL in urine," the AIU stated.
"Presenting a brief chronology of this case, AIU Head Brett Clothier revealed Chepng’etich was 'notified and interviewed in person by the AIU in Kenya on 16 April and complied with requests regarding our investigation'," it added.
According to the AIU, the athlete has the right to have her case heard before a disciplinary tribunal.
The suspension comes 10 months after the 30-year-old made history by winning in a world record time of 2:09:57 at the Chicago Marathon in October last year.
Chepng’etich, who won the Chicago Marathon for the third consecutive time, broke the previous world record of 2:11:53, which had been set by Ethiopian Tigst Assefa at the 2023 Berlin Marathon.
"I feel so great. I am very proud of myself and I've done well for the victory and the world record," Chepng’etich said after her win.
"This is my dream that has come true. I fight a lot thinking about the world record. I am very grateful," she added.
The suspension comes just three months after AIU also confirmed a two-year ban on Kenyan marathoner Purity Changwony after she tested positive for two banned substances, Norandrosterone and Triamcinolone Acetonide.
