“Some people may think that the time is too fast and you must be doping. What would you say to them?” a reporter questioned Ruth Chepngetich when she broke the world record last year.”You know people must talk but… people must talk so I don’t know,” the Kenyan replied. She broke the women’s marathon world record on October 13, 2024, winning the Chicago Marathon in 2 hours 9 minutes 56 seconds, becoming the first woman ever to run under 2 hours 10 minutes in the event, and shaving almost two minutes off the previous mark of 2:11:53.What followed only made it worse…

Her performance was celebrated as one of the greatest in marathon history, seemingly placing Ruth Chepngetich among the sport’s elite. But in the months that followed, the focus began to shift. Kenya, long seen as a powerhouse in distance running, has faced growing scrutiny over doping, with nearly 100 athletes sanctioned since 2017. In April 2025, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) provisionally suspended Chepngetich for the presence and use of a prohibited substance, Hydrochlorothiazide. The case remains ongoing, and she retains the right to a hearing before a Disciplinary Tribunal. Amid this, a keen detail is making rounds on the internet..

“Hello, I just read this press release…The concentration level of Hydrochlorothiazide found in Ruth Chepngetich’s urine was 3800 ng/ml. The allowable amount is 20 ng/ml. God of Jerusalem,” wrote Lillian, a track journalist on her X account. HCTZ is a diuretic, used clinically to treat fluid retention and hypertension. Under the WADA Code, it is a class S5 Prohibited Substance (Diuretics and Masking Agents), prohibited at all times, and a Specified Substance. Diuretics may be abused to mask the presence in urine of other Prohibited Substances.

It has a minimum reporting level of 20ng/mL in urine, meaning findings below this concentration are reported as negative. How much did they find in Ruth? In a press release released by the Athletics Integrity Unit, they said, “A Notice of Charge has been issued against Chepngetich regarding the detection of the Prohibited Substance – a diuretic – following 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.”

For now, Ruth Chepngetich has the right for her case to be heard before a Disciplinary Tribunal, and the AIU might not comment further until this matter has been concluded. But whatever happens in this case, it goes on to cast shadows over women’s distance running and also points out a big problem around doping.

Behind ongoing efforts to tackle doping in distance running

As of early 2025, 126 Kenyan athletes were serving doping sanctions, with nine more provisionally suspended, a figure that underscores how deeply the crisis has penetrated even those outside elite circles. Even notable names like Brimin Kipkorir and Sheila Chelangat have been provisionally suspended so far in 2025. Kipkorir tested positive for EPO and furosemide, while Chelangat was flagged for EPO at the national cross-country championships in May.

Athletics Kenya, backed by the Kenyan government and ADAK, has tightened enforcement. From October 2024 to August 2025, a pool of 444 athletes must undergo at least three unannounced out-of-competition tests, or they’ll be ineligible for major championships like the Tokyo Worlds. The government has committed US$25 million over five years to anti-doping measures since 2023, ADAK has expanded its testing pool from dozens to hundreds, and mandatory education programs now accompany local races and athlete camps.

As the sport faces tough questions, all eyes are now on whether these reforms can help rebuild trust in distance running and the marathon world at large.