Ruth Chepngetich, marathon world record holder, provisionally suspended for doping

Was the women's marathon world record set on the Chicago asphalt in 2024 actually a big joke? The running world will be seriously questioning itself after Ruth Chepngetich's provisional suspension following a positive test for hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Thursday, July 17.

"The IAU has provisionally suspended marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich for the presence and use of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) in a sample taken on March 14, 2025," the body said in a statement on Thursday, July 17.

The Kenyan, by running the 42.195 km in 2 hours 09 minutes 56 seconds a few months ago in the United States , had smashed by almost two minutes the previous best time of all time, held until then by the Ethiopian Tigist Assefa, who had run in 2 hours 11 minutes 53 seconds on September 24, 2023 in Berlin.

In its statement, the AIU explained that it became aware of Chepngetich's positive test on April 3, 2025, and that it interviewed the 30-year-old athlete on April 16. The AIU stated that the marathon runner opted for a voluntary provisional suspension in April while the anti-doping agency continued its investigation. "In recent months, the AIU has continued its investigation and has decided to impose its own provisional suspension," the anti-doping agency said, adding that the procedure is not yet complete.

Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which can be used to mask the presence of other banned substances in urine.

The 30-year-old athlete achieved an extraordinary feat, running the entire race at a pace never before achieved by women. At the 10th kilometer, she was on the verge of 2 hours 07 minutes 30 seconds, before dropping slightly, to become the first woman in history to fall below the symbolic 2 hours 10 minutes barrier. The 2019 marathon world champion had already won the Chicago Marathon twice, in 2021 and 2022. Her personal best for the distance was 2 hours 14 minutes 18 seconds. She faces a two-year suspension.