This Thursday, July 17 in Monaco, the Athletics Integrity Unit (UIA) Ruth Chepngich. The reason? Ni The presence and use of hydrochlorotiazide (HCTZ) related to a sample taken on March 14 of this year.
HCTZ is a diuretic, used in the clinic to treat fluid maintenance and hypertension. According to the World Anti -Doping Agency (FATHER) code, it is a prohibited and specific substance of Class S5 (Diuretics and Masking Agents), It is prohibited at all times, as you can abuse diuretics to masqueize the presence of urine of other forbidden substances. Under the technical requirements of the father for laboratories, the HCTZ has a minimum notification level of 20 ng/ml in urine, which means the results below this concentration are known to be negative.
Ruth Chepngetich, World Marathon record
Punishable for two years
On the same Thursday, a notice of charges against Chepngich was issued in relation to detection of forbidden substance -HCTZ – After an investigation into the positive of the Kenyan athlete, which was sent to AIU on April 3 this year, with an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/ml in urine. Some positions that, prove and state that it is guilty, will move Kenyan within two years from high competition, but it will not be lost in its world record, achieved in the 2022 Chicago Marathon (02: 09: 56H).
Presenting a brief conjunction of this case, the UIA leader, Brett ClothierHe announced that Chepnggetich was “informed and interviewed by the AIU in Kenya on April 16 and fulfilled requests related to our research. When there is positive for diuretics and masking agents, therefore, a temporary suspension is not provided according to the world Anti -Doping Code. Temporary Importance while the UIA investigation is ongoing,” Pleshier also explained.
“In the intermediate months, the AIU continued its investigation and today (Thursday, July 17, 2025) issued an accusation notice and imposed its own temporary suspension,” concluded the UIA leader. Clothier also remembers that Chepnggetich has the right to be tried by a court of discipline and that the UIA will not comment until this matter is resolved.
Why is Chepngetich’s punishment 2 years?
A prohibited and specific substance has a standard penalty of 2 years of suspension, subject to a possible reduction or increase in accordance with the provisions of the father’s code. Therefore Kenyan’s athlete will be suspended until April 2027, and, in the temporary space with respect to the competition, it will not participate in any significant marathon during the remaining 2025 or throughout the formal marathon period in 2026. This includes everything World Marathon Majors and many other prestigious international races.
But the truth is that, This year 2025 Ruth Chepngetich did not compete. His planned appointment is the London 2025 Marathon on April 27That is finally He retired before going out, claim that I am not in physical or mental conditions to do my best. And, in recent months, he has known in public that his health is fragile.
Therefore, up to 2025, the Kenyan athlete did not participate in any official competition. It is necessary to see how his state of health and the final AIU court decision to determine whether the world record holder may compete as soon as possible or not.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Jason Root, a professional writer working with Today Times Live, the premier news website. I specialize in sports writing, covering the biggest stories in the world of athletics. With an eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, I provide engaging and informative articles that capture the key elements of any event or issue. My work has been featured on numerous respected websites and publications around the world.
