Women's marathon record holder faces drug ban

The women's marathon world record-holder, Ruth Chepngetich, is facing a two-year ban after testing positive for a banned diuretic and masking agent, the Athletics Integrity Unit has announced.

- Sean Ingle

The Kenyan stunned the world when she ran 2hr 9min 56sec at the Chicago marathon last October, a time that shattered the previous record by almost two minutes. The 30-year-old, however, withdrew from the London Marathon in April where she was due to be the star attraction, saying she was "not in the right place mentally or physically" to race her best.

It has emerged that Chepngetich tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a banned diuretic and masking agent, on 14 March and, according to the AIU, "opted for a voluntary provisional suspension while the AIU's investigation was ongoing".

"A notice of charge has been issued against Chepngetich regarding the detection of the prohibited substance - a diuretic - after an investigation into the Kenyan athlete's positive test which was reported to the AIU on 3 April this year, at an estimated concentration of 3800 ng/mL in urine," it said.