Who Is Ruth Chepngetich: Marathon World Record-Holder Who Was Handed Suspension For Doping Violation

Women’s marathon world record holder Ruth Chengetich was handed a provisional suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on 17 July 2025 following alleged anti-doping violations. Chepngetich, born on 8 August 1994, is a Kenyan long-distance runner. She holds the current women's marathon world record, clocking 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 56 seconds at the 2024 Chicago Marathon.

Chepngetich also became the world champion in the marathon in 2019 and has won the Chicago Marathon on three occasions: in 2021, 2022, and 2024. She made history as the first woman to break both the 2 hour, 11 minute, and 2 hour, 10 minute barriers in the marathon.

Career Beginnings And Early Records

Ruth Chepngetich won the women's only road race at the 40th Istanbul Marathon, a World Athletics Label Road Race, in 2018. She completed the race in 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 35 seconds. Her split times included 31 minutes, 59 seconds for 10 kilometres, 48 minutes, 15 seconds for 15 kilometres, and 1 hour, 8 minutes, 22 seconds at the half-marathon mark, along with 1 hour, 37 minutes, 42 seconds for 30 kilometres.

Chepngetich's run established a new course record and marked the best performance ever recorded on Turkish soil. Her time was, at that point, the seventh fastest in history. By achieving this, Chepngetich became only the tenth athlete to break the 2 hour, 19 minute barrier, and the thirtieth to break the 2 hour, 20 minute barrier.

In 2019, she set another course record at the 20th Dubai Marathon, finishing in 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 8 seconds.

World Title And Half-Marathon Feats

On 28 September 2019, Ruth Chepngetich secured the world marathon title at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. She clocked 2 hours, 32 minutes, and 43 seconds. The race commenced at midnight due to "sweltering, humid conditions." Rose Chelimo of Bahrain took the silver medal with a time of 2 hours, 33 minutes, and 46 seconds, while 39-year-old Helalia Johannes of Namibia secured bronze with 2 hours, 34 minutes, and 15 seconds.

Chepngetich's winning time was the slowest in the history of the women's world championship marathon. Due to the challenging conditions, only 40 of the 68 starters managed to finish the race in Doha.

She secured third place in the London Marathon on 4 October 2020. On 4 April 2021, Chepngetich set a half-marathon world record of 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 2 seconds at the Istanbul Half Marathon in Turkey. This time shaved 29 seconds off the previous best, set by Ababel Yeshaneh in 2020. Though her record has since been surpassed, she remains the sixth-fastest woman at that distance.

Dominance In Major Marathons

Ruth Chepngetich achieved her first victory in a World Marathon Major on 10 October 2021, winning the Chicago Marathon in 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 31 seconds. She began with a fast first half, completing it in 67 minutes, 34 seconds, and finished with a slower second half of 74 minutes, 57 seconds, yet still won by almost two minutes.

On 13 March 2022, Chepngetich won the Nagoya Women's Marathon in Japan, a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label race, in 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 18 seconds. This time stands as the second fastest ever in a women's only marathon. She ran a 'negative split', completing the first half in 69 minutes, 3 seconds and the second half much faster in 68 minutes, 15 seconds.

This performance established a new course record and was, at the time, jointly the seventh fastest time in history, giving her an 87-second victory margin. She received 250,000 US dollars, which was then the largest official prize in professional running.

On 9 October 2022, Chepngetich successfully defended her Chicago title, winning the Chicago Marathon in 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 18 seconds. This marked a personal best by almost three minutes and was then the second-fastest time in history, only 14 seconds off Brigid Kosgei's then-world record of 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 4 seconds.

Chepngetich ran much of the race under world record pace, recording her first 10 miles in 49 minutes, 49 seconds. She ran the first half in 65 minutes, 44 seconds, and the second in 68 minutes, 34 seconds. With this win, she became the first woman to break the 2 hour, 18 minute barrier on three separate occasions.

World Record And Doping Allegations

Ruth Chepngetich set a new marathon world record on 13 October 2024 at the Chicago Marathon, completing it in 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 56 seconds. This broke Tigst Assefa's previous world record of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds by almost two minutes. In setting this record, Chepngetich became the first woman to run faster than both 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 2 hours, 10 minutes in the marathon.

Chepngetich dedicated her world record to Kelvin Kiptum, a fellow long-distance runner and men's world record holder, who died in February 2024.

Her world record generated "criticism" and "accusations of doping." Robert Johnson of LetsRun.com directly questioned Chepngetich about these "criticisms." The Kenyan National Assembly considered Johnson's question "disrespectful." Sources have attributed her improved performance to the use of a Maurten carbohydrate mix and the Nike Alphafly 3 shoe. The AIU provisionally suspended her on 17 July 2025 for an alleged doping violation.