On October 13, 2024, Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich made history by becoming the first woman to run a marathon under 2 hours and 10 minutes. Her time of 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon broke the previous world record by nearly two minutes and was widely hailed as one of the most remarkable performances in the sport’s history. However, the achievement was met with skepticism in some quarters, with questions raised during the post-race press conference and reactions extending into international media and Kenyan politics. In the months that followed, both her competitive form and public scrutiny evolved in notable ways.
Her record time, 2:09:56, slashed nearly two minutes off the previous world record. Applause was swift. She was nominated for World Athletics awards and praised as a generational talent. But during the post-race press conference that same day, a moment of friction emerged. LetsRun’s Robert Johnson asked Chepngetich whether the performance might invite suspicion, considering the volume of recent doping cases in Kenya. Chepngetich answered briefly, “I don’t have any idea.” When pressed again, she replied, “You know people must talk but…people must talk so I don’t know.” Well, the exchange did not vanish. Instead, it ignited a reaction.
On October 16, 2024, the discussion reached the floor of Kenya’s parliament. Lawmakers criticized Johnson’s questions and demanded an apology. That same day, Athletics Kenya issued a statement defending Chepngetich and rejecting the insinuations, saying they undermined both her work and the credibility of the sport. As reported in a recent timeline piece by Chris Chavez of CITIUS MAG, the progression of events following Chepngetich’s record run would soon take a different turn.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Three weeks later, on November 4, 2024, Chepngetich was named a finalist for the World Athletics Female Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year. She ultimately lost to Sifan Hassan. Then, on December 11, 2024, World Athletics officially ratified Chepngetich’s record. But by the end of the month, her competitive form began to decline. Competing on December 31, 2024, she finished second in a road 10k in Madrid, clocking 31:32. And this was well off the 30:14 split she had posted through 10k in Chicago.
A brief timeline of events since Ruth Chepngetich’s marathon world record…
Oct. 13, 2024 – Ruth Chepngetich takes nearly two minutes off the marathon world record in 2:09:56 – becomes the first woman to break 2:11 and 2:10.
In the post-race press conference, LetsRun’s Robert… https://t.co/e4gAkFEYoD
— Chris Chavez (@ChrisChavez) July 17, 2025
Still, she remained active on the calendar. On January 15, 2025, Chepngetich was announced as a headliner for the 2025 London Marathon, where she was expected to race Sifan Hassan and Peres Jepchirchir. On February 11, 2025, she confirmed plans to compete at the Lisbon Half Marathon. She raced in Lisbon on March 9, 2025, finishing second in 1:06:20, over two minutes slower than her personal best of 1:04:02.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Ruth Chepngetich’s Chicago Record in spotlightUnknown to the public, Chepngetich tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide on March 14, 2025, five days after Lisbon. The diuretic, which falls under Category S5 on the World Anti-Doping Agency Code, can be used to mask the presence of other substances. Her urine sample showed a concentration of 3800 nanograms per milliliter, well beyond the 20 ng/mL threshold that triggers a violation.
via Imago
The result was formally reported to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on April 3, 2025. On April 16, 2025, Chepngetich was interviewed in person by AIU representatives in Kenya. Two days later, on April 18, 2025, she withdrew from the London Marathon, citing poor mental and physical condition. The very next day, on April 19, 2025, she informed the AIU that she would accept a voluntary provisional suspension while the investigation proceeded.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The case moved quietly through the following months. Then, finally, on July 17, 2025, the AIU issued a Notice of Charge and imposed a formal provisional suspension. In a press statement, AIU head Brett Clothier clarified that a suspension is not mandatory in such cases, but that Chepngetich had opted into the process early. Her case now awaits possible adjudication before a Disciplinary Tribunal.
