Ruth Chepngetich, world marathon record holder, suspended for doping

This is unfortunately not entirely surprising. Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, who suspiciously broke the marathon world record (2 h 9 min 56 s) in October 2024, has been provisionally suspended following a positive test for hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the body responsible for detecting doping cases in the sport, 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 anti-doping body wrote in a statement.

In October 2024 in Chicago, Ruth Chepngetich shattered the marathon world record by nearly two minutes. During the same event, she also beat her personal best by more than four minutes. An extraordinary performance that intrigued observers.

In its statement, the AIU explained that it became aware of Chepngetich's positive test on April 3, 2025, and that it interviewed the athlete on April 16. The AIU stated that the 30-year-old 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 explained on Thursday. 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.

Ruth Chepngetich, the 2019 world marathon champion, has won the Chicago Marathon three times (2021, 2022, 2024) and has not run since March 2025 and the Lisbon Half Marathon (2nd in 1 hour 6 minutes 20 seconds). She faces a two-year ban.