In a stunning blow to elite distance running, women's marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich has been suspended from competition for three years following a positive doping test.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) confirmed on Thursday that the Kenyan athlete tested positive for morphine, a prohibited substance, during an out-of-competition test conducted in May 2024.
World Record Tarnished
Chepngetich's ban casts a shadow over her remarkable 2:14:04 world record set at the Chicago Marathon in 2022, a performance that had been celebrated as one of the greatest in women's distance running history.
The 30-year-old Kenyan had established herself as one of the sport's dominant forces, winning the 2019 World Championships in Doha and multiple major marathon titles throughout her career.
The Case Against Chepngetich
According to the AIU investigation, Chepngetich claimed the positive test resulted from consuming contaminated meat during Kenya's World Athletics Cross Country Championships trials in February 2024.
However, the AIU rejected this explanation, stating that "the athlete failed to establish that the ingestion of morphine occurred through no fault or negligence on her part."
The three-year suspension is backdated to June 25, 2024, meaning Chepngetich will be eligible to return to competition in June 2027, though her career at the elite level appears severely compromised.
Impact on Athletics
This case represents another significant doping violation in Kenyan distance running, following recent bans for other prominent athletes including Diana Kipyokei and Philemon Kacheran.
The timing is particularly damaging for the sport, coming just months before the next World Athletics Championships and casting further doubt on the credibility of record-breaking performances.
Chepngetich's suspension means she will miss the 2025 World Championships and potentially the 2026 Commonwealth Games, effectively ending her prime competitive years under the cloud of doping allegations.
