Marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich banned in doping shock

The women who obliterated the women’s marathon world record is in the fight of her career after the shocking finding.

Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich, who shattered the women’s marathon world record last year, has been provisionally suspended on suspicion of doping, the Athletics Integrity Unit said on Thursday.

Chepngetich improved the record to 2:09.56 in Chicago in October, becoming the first woman to break both the 2:11.00 and 2:10.00 in one go, taking just under two minutes off the record previously set by Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa in September 2023.

For the record, in women’s marathons, there are two world records — Chepngetich’s, set in a mixed race at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, and Assefa’s 2:15.50 women-only race record set at the London Marathon in April this year.

But the 30-year-old Kenyan has been stood down after she tested positive to the banned diuretic hydrochlorothiazide on March 14 this year.

The world record holder has been provisionally suspended. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

AIU head Brett Clothier said 30-year-old Chepngetich’s case was being investigated and would be heard by a disciplinary tribunal.

“When there is a positive test for diuretics and masking agents, a provisional suspension is not mandatory under the World Anti-Doping Code,” he explained.

“Chepngetich was not provisionally suspended by the AIU at the time of notification. However, on 19 April she opted for a voluntary provisional suspension while the AIU’s investigation was ongoing.

“In the intervening months, the AIU continued its investigation and today issued a Notice of Charge and imposed its own provisional suspension.”

In April, Chepngetich withdrew from the London Marathon, saying she was “not in the right place mentally or physically to race my best”.

Ruth Chepngetich with her world record. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Hydrochlorothiazide is used to treat fluid retention and hypertension.

Marathon running has been hit with a series of high-profile doping cases in recent years.

In February 2024, 2017 Tokyo Marathon winner Sarah Chepchirchir from Kenya was given an eight-year ban after she was found was found to have violated anti-doping regulations for a second time.

It came a month after Kenyan pair Hosea Kimeli Kisorio and Ayub Kiptum were stood down for three years for use of recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) and testosterone respectively.

Earlier this year, Sydney Marathon runner and another from Kenya Brimin Kipkorir was provisionally suspended after testing positive to EPO and Furosemide in an out-of-competition test in November 2024.

While the provisional suspension is a big move, it’s not certain that Chepngetich will be handed a long-term suspension although it seems there’s a long battle ahead of her.

Peter Bol had done nothing wrong. Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Aussie 800m star Peter Bol was handed a provisional ban in January 2023 after a false positive finding for EPO.

Bol claimed his innocence from the outset and fought the ban, eventually being cleared in August 2023 after his life was thrown into chaos.

The Australian 800m record holder qualified for Paris but was unable to make it out of the repechage round after the ordeal.

It was revealed after the event that Bol had considered scrapping his Olympic campaign six weeks out over the horrific saga.

With AFP

Originally published as Marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich banned in doping shock