Nairobi — Kenya’s Ruth Chepng’etich, who is the Women’s Marathon World Record Holder, has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for doping.
In a statement, the anti-doping body said the 2019 world champion tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide.
Chepngetich made history at last year’s Chicago Marathon when she clocked a world record of 2:09:56, becoming the first woman to run under 2:10 in the 42km.
On April 19, she had to withdraw from the 2025 London Marathon nine days before the event, saying, “I’m not in the right place mentally or physically to race my best in London, and I am therefore withdrawing.”
The substance, a diuretic, was detected in a sample collected from the Kenyan athlete on 14 March, the AIU said in a statement on Thursday.
The AIU said hydrochlorothiazide is used clinically to treat fluid retention and hypertension, adding that diuretics may be abused to mask the presence in urine of other prohibited substances.
Further to this development, 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 (2025), at an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL in urine.
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”.
“When there is a positive test for diuretics and masking agents, a provisional suspension is not mandatory under the World Anti-Doping Code. Chepng’etich 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,” explained Clothier.
“In the intervening months, the AIU continued its investigation and today issued a Notice of Charge and imposed its own provisional suspension.”
Reminding of the process ahead, Clothier noted Chepng’etich has the right for her case to be heard before a Disciplinary Tribunal and that the AIU will not comment further until this matter has been concluded.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
