It was a landmark day at the 2024 Chicago Marathon. Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya delivered a stunning performance, clocking 2:09:56 to break the women’s marathon world record by nearly two minutes. She became the first woman to finish the distance in under 2 hours and 10 minutes, surpassing Tigst Assefa’s previous mark of 2:11:53 set at the 2023 Berlin Marathon. Her splits included 15:00 at 5km, 64:16 at the halfway point, and 2:03:11 at 40km. The victory marked Chepngetich’s third title in Chicago, following wins in 2021 and 2022. However, what made this historic moment particularly notable is that it has since come under scrutiny due to her provisional suspension.

On July 17, 2025, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) dropped an update: Chepngetich was provisionally suspended after testing positive for hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a banned diuretic, on March 14, 2025, post-Lisbon Half Marathon (1:06:20). The sample showed 3,800 ng/mL of HCTZ, way above the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 20 ng/mL threshold. This diuretic can mask other substances, raising red flags. She accepted the suspension voluntarily on April 19, 2025, and now faces a potential two-year ban pending a tribunal hearing. As she is battling through, her 2024 after-win words resurface and are making online rounds.

In 2024, after crossing the finish line, Chepngetich’s joy was infectious. “I feel so great. I’m proud of myself and what I’ve done for the victory and the world,” she said, her words raw with emotion. She dedicated the win to Kelvin Kiptum, the late men’s record holder, adding, “This is the world record now, He has gone back to Kenya. I am dedicating this to him.”

Her love for Chicago shone through: “Chicago is like home… Fans, they are motivating, shouting, that makes me push so hard.” Her prep was meticulous, too, she noted, “I was prepared well… It was in my mind, and I have fulfilled it.” Those 2024 quotes, once a celebration of grit, are now under the radar.

Ruth Chepngetich’s stellar career under the shadows

Ruth Chepngetich, now 30, powering through the midnight streets of Doha in 2019, clinching the women’s World Championships marathon title in a grueling 2:32:43. That race, kicked off at midnight to dodge Qatar’s brutal heat, showed her grit. But her real claim to fame? Last October’s Chicago Marathon, where she blazed to a 2:09:56, snagging the women’s world record and becoming the first woman to break 2:11 and 2:10. Talk about a game-changer…

Her resume sparkles with three of the top-10 women’s marathon times ever: that 2:09:56 in Chicago 2024, a 2:14:18 in Chicago 2022 (fifth-fastest), and a 2:15:37 in Chicago 2023 (ninth-fastest). In 15 career marathons, she’s won nine, nabbed second twice, third once, and ninth once in the 13 she finished. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathon? A rare DNF for her. Her latest race was a solid 1:06:20 for second at the Lisbon Half Marathon on March 9, 2025. But what happened next?

Just five days later, on March 14, a positive test for a banned diuretic flipped her story upside down. With her case now pending, Ruth Chepngetich joins a growing list of 139 Kenyan athletes under scrutiny, casting a shadow over one of the most remarkable chapters in marathon history