Just about a year ago, in October 2024, in Chicago, clocking a record time of 2:09:56, Ruth Chepngetich shattered the women’s World record in the Chicago Marathon. But in less than a year, that world record was put to the question. In July 2025, she tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide, which is one of the many banned substances. Following such a result, Chepngetich was put under a provisional suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit. However, that was just the beginning.

Hydrochlorothiazide is considered to be a substance that is generally used to hide the use of a few banned drugs. While the safe limit for the same is fixed at 20 ng/mL by AIU, they found 3800 ng/mL in Ruth Chepngetich’s samples. But this update has just taken a new turn this morning. Ruth Chepngetich has been banned for three years by the Athletics Integrity Unit.

Her story started to take such a turn back in March 2025, when a large amount of Hydrochlorothiazide was found in her urine sample. In the first hearing itself in April 2025, Chepngetich failed to justify her stand to clear herself of the allegations of using banned substances. In that very month, more samples of her medicines and supplements were collected for further evaluation. And alongside that, a forensic copy of her phone was also tracked by the authorities.

In July 2025, while no banned substances were detected in the content of her supplements and medicine, her phone activity turned out to provide suspicious details. At the end of the same month, Chepngetich tried to clear herself out by stating that Hydrochlorothiazide was consumed by her unintentionally while taking a medicine. However, such an explanation was not taken into consideration by AIU. Following that, in August 2025, Ruth Chepngetich was issued a notice of charge by AIU. 

Ruth Chepngetich accepted the decision in twenty days. As a result of her admitting her fault, the ban was reduced to three years. Abiding by this update, each of her records and achievements pre-dating March 14, 2025, would stand as valid. However, AIU was still not done with their investigation, and they continued with their evaluation to determine if there was any other further use of banned products or the intention of the same. And a recent update has come to light that might put her Chicago Marathon world record at stake.

Ruth Chepngetich’s world record under threat as AIU finds new evidence

The Athletics Integrity Unit has recently shared a report that might turn out to be the most disastrous update for Ruth Chepngetich, as it might make her world record from October 2024 invalid. AIU has reportedly found evidence that Chepngetich was having conversations regarding ‘testosterone vials’ with another athlete. Screenshots of the same have been found as evidence by the authorities. 

The conversation was based on what testosterone might “work”. Adding to that, another image of an Anavar vial was found, which is another banned substance. Ruth Chepngetich explained how those pictures were in her device unintentionally and how they were automatically saved from group chats. She further defended herself by adding that a few screenshots were taken accidentally. 

The updates centering the newly found screenshots are reportedly dating back to April 2024. It was about six months before Ruth Chepngetich came and obliterated the world record in the Chicago Marathon. Thus, if this evidence succeeds in proving Chepngetich guilty yet again of using banned substances before October 2025, she would not be the women’s world record holder for the Chicago Marathon.