Chepngetich Suspended for Doping; Record Under Scrutiny

Ruth Chepngetich, the Kenyan women's marathon world record holder with a time of 2:09:56 from the 2024 Chicago Marathon, has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after testing positive for the banned diuretic hydrochlorothiazide. Her sample, collected on March 14, 2025, showed a concentration of the substance far above the permitted level. Chepngetich voluntarily accepted a provisional suspension in April, during which she also withdrew from the London Marathon, citing mental and physical unpreparedness. The AIU has now formally imposed its own provisional ban and issued a Notice of Charge, though a date for the full disciplinary hearing has not been set. Her record-setting Chicago win is now under scrutiny, amid a surge of doping cases among Kenyan distance runners. The incident has intensified debate over the effectiveness of anti-doping measures in marathon running.