Women’s marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich provisionally suspended after testing positive for banned substance

Women’s marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Thursday.

Chepngetich smashed the previous marathon record by almost two minutes when she ran a time of 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon in October 2024, becoming the first woman in history to break the 2:10 barrier.

According to an AIU statement, the 30-year-old tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic used clinically to treat fluid retention and hypertension, in a sample collected on March 14, which was then reported to the organization on April 3.

Any levels of Hydrochlorothiazide below 20 ng/mL in urine are reported as negative. Chepngetich’s sample had an estimated concentration of 3,800 ng/mL, the AIU said.

Hydrochlorothiazide is prohibited at all times under the World Anti Doping Agency code and considered a “Specified Substance,” which carries a standard sanction of two years.