Why Ruth Chepngetich’s marathon world record still stands despite her doping ban
Ruth Chepngetich’s 2hr 9min 56sec marathon in Chicago in 2024 remains the women’s world record, despite the Kenyan later receiving a three-year doping ban. Her performance cut 1min 57sec from the previous record and five minutes from her personal best, but she passed the post-race test. Her positive result came five months later, leaving anti-doping authorities without evidence that she had violated the rules when setting the record.
Chepngetich tested at 20 times the permitted limit for hydrochlorothiazide, or HCTZ, a banned diuretic that can be used as a masking agent. She said she had taken her housemaid’s medication after feeling hot and experiencing a rapid resting heartbeat, an explanation the Athletics Integrity Unit called “hardly credible”. Investigators also found phone screenshots concerning testosterone and messages about unidentified third parties working on possible doping “programs”; Chepngetich denied using testosterone and said the messages came from a group chat.
The World Anti-Doping Agency says retrospectively cancelling earlier results without evidence or a reasonable inference of doping at the time could violate proportionality and human-rights principles. Any broader rule allowing records or medals to be withdrawn after a later positive test would require widespread agreement and changes to the anti-doping code. Meanwhile, sponsors are funding additional tests, and the AIU—operating on $11.9m a year—has caught 317 elite Kenyan athletes since 2017.
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