Marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit after testing positive for Hydrochlorothiazide in a test on March 14th.
Hydrochlorothiazide can be used to mask the presence of banned drugs. The minimum reporting concentration is 20 ng/mL. The AIU notes she had an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL in urine. The positive test also came five days after her only competition of 2025, when Chepngetich finished second at the Lisbon Half Marathon in 1:06:20. She could face a two-year ban since the banned substance is listed under a “category S5. Diuretics and Masking Agents” on the World Anti-Doping Agency Code.
The positive test was reported to the AIU on April 3rd. She was notified and interviewed in person by the AIU in Kenya on April 16th. Chepngetich withdrew from this year’s London Marathon on April 18th and stated she was not in the right condition, both mentally and physically, to compete.
AIU head Brett Clothier (via press release): “When there is a positive test for diuretics and masking agents, a provisional suspension is not mandatory under the World Anti-Doping Code. 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.”
Chepngetich has the right to have the case heard before a Disciplinary Tribunal.
Last year, Chepngetich shattered the women’s marathon world record in 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon. She became the first, and to date only, woman to break both 2:11 and 2:10 for the marathon. The previous world record was 2:11:53 by Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa. Chepngetich has won the Chicago Marathon three times in her career and also claimed gold at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
At last October’s Chicago Marathon post-race press conference, LetsRun’s Robert Johnson asked Chpeng’etich about the marathon world record falling by nearly two minutes in an era where Kenya is struggling with doping cases.
Here is how the exchange went:
Johnson: “Ruth, unfortunately in recent years there’s been a number of doping positives in Kenya. What would you say to someone who says when they see 2:09:56, ‘This is too good to be true. I have questions about it.’”
Chepngtich: “I don’t have any idea.”
Johnson: “Some people may think that the time is too fast and you must be doping. What would you say to them?”
Chepngetich: “You know people must talk but…people must talk so I don’t know.”
Chepngetich is far from the first athlete represented by sports agent Federico Rosa to test positive for a banned substance. Rosa represented Rita Jeptoo (the three-time Boston Marathon and two-time Boston Marathon champion who tested positive for EPO in 2014), Jemima Sumgong (the 2016 Olympic champion who tested positive for EPO in 2017 but still retained her gold medal. Her suspension was later extended to eight years for tampering with the anti-doping process), Lawrence Cherono (the 2019 Boston Marathon and Chicago Marathon champion who received a seven-year ban in 2024 for testing positive for trimetazidine and then tampering), Sarah Chepchirchir (the 2017 Tokyo Marathon champion who was banned four years for violations found in her Athlete Biological Passport and then tested positive for testosterone upon her return in 2024), Titus Ekiru (the 2:02:57 marathoner who tested positive for triamcinolone acetonide, pethidine and then tampered with the process and received a 10-year ban), and most recently Sheila Chelangat (the 16th place finisher in the Paris Olympics 10,000m final and 1:06:06 half marathoner who is provisionally suspended following a positive test for EPO).
Rosa was arrested and jailed in Kenya in July 2016 when he was accused of ‘conspiracy to cause injuries to professional athletes through doping.’ The charges were withdrawn by prosecutors in November of that year. He told the New York Times, “I’m very happy; all the nightmares are finally finished.”
No timeline has been given for Chepngetich’s disciplinary case.
___________________
Keep up with all things track and field by following us across Instagram, X, Bluesky, Threads, and YouTube. Catch the latest episodes of the CITIUS MAG Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. For more, subscribe to The Lap Count and CITIUS MAG Newsletter for the top running news delivered straight to your inbox.
