• Ruth Chepngetich, women's marathon world record holder, provisionally suspended for doping.
• Tested positive for diuretic hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) on March 14.
• Chepngetich set a record of 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon in October 2024.

Kenyan marathon runner Ruth Chepngetich has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after testing positive for the banned substance hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). The substance was detected in a sample collected on March 14, 2025, leading to her suspension as stated by the AIU. Chepngetich, who set a remarkable time of two hours, nine minutes, and 56 seconds at the Chicago Marathon in October 2024, became the first woman to break the 2:10 barrier. The AIU highlighted that HCTZ is commonly abused to mask other prohibited substances in urine samples, with a reported concentration of 3,800 ng/mL found in Chepngetich’s test results, according to Reuters, BBC, and AllAfrica.

Initially, the AIU did not impose a provisional suspension upon notifying Chepngetich on April 16. However, on April 19, she opted for a voluntary provisional suspension while the investigation proceeded. AIU Head Brett Clothier confirmed the ongoing investigation and the subsequent Notice of Charge issued against her. “In the intervening months, the AIU continued its investigation and today issued a Notice of Charge and imposed its own provisional suspension,” he stated, according to Reuters, BBC, and AllAfrica.

In the wake of these developments, Chepngetich had previously withdrawn from the London Marathon, citing her mental and physical readiness. “I'm not in the right place mentally or physically to race my best in London,” she remarked before the event. The AIU's process requires that she has the right to have her case heard before a Disciplinary Tribunal, with no further comments to be made until the conclusion of the matter, according to Reuters, BBC, and AllAfrica.