Inside the leaks that triggered Ruth Chepng’etich’s doping suspension
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 20.11.25. | 09:29
The messages expose exchanges that appear to link her to banned substances months before her world record-breaking run
Leaked WhatsApp messages have shed light on some of the most shocking details behind the three-year doping ban of world marathon champion Ruth Chepng’etich.
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The messages expose exchanges that appear to link her to banned substances months before her world record-breaking run.
According to the official report released by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), investigators recovered screenshots from Chepng’etich’s phone, including one message from another athlete showing images of testosterone vials and asking how the substance “works.”
“… aliambiwa kuhusu, ndio akaniambia nikuuliza how it works,” the message read, accompanied by what appeared to be photos of doping materials.
Other messages on her phone discussed people “working on programs” suspected to be related to doping, and investigators also found an image showing a vial and a box of Anavar, another banned anabolic steroid.
Chepng’etich, however, denied any involvement, claiming she had not asked for or replied to the testosterone message and may have taken the screenshot accidentally.
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She further explained that the images could have been automatically saved from group chats or forwarded messages she had not solicited.
Two weeks after being charged in July, Chepng’etich changed her defense.
She told the AIU that on 12 March, 2025, she had fallen ill and taken medication from her housemaid, who had similar symptoms.
The pill, she later claimed, turned out to be Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a banned diuretic she was unaware of.
She added that she forgot to declare it on her doping control form two days later.
Notably, the WhatsApp messages date back to April 2024, six months before Chepng’etich ran an astonishing 2:09:56 to break the women’s marathon world record, a record that, for now, remains valid.
The AIU’s report, published on 23 Thursday, October, confirmed that Chepng’etich has been suspended for three years after admitting to Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) involving the use and presence of Hydrochlorothiazide.
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The 31-year-old, a three-time Chicago Marathon winner, tested positive from a 14 March 2025 sample that revealed a concentration of 3,800ng/mL of the prohibited substance, far above the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reporting threshold of 20ng/mL.
During her first AIU interview on April 16, Chepng’etich failed to explain the findings.
Investigators collected her medications, supplements, and phone data, but laboratory analysis found no traces of HCTZ in the products she submitted.
When confronted with data from her phone during a second interview on 11July, the AIU suggested possible intentional use, but she continued to deny ever doping.
By 31 July, Chepng’etich shifted her stance, writing to the AIU that she had unknowingly ingested her housemaid’s medication.
She later sent a photo showing the blister pack clearly labelled Hydrochlorothiazide.
However, the AIU described her account as hardly credible, stating that such negligence amounts to indirect intent under anti-doping rules, an offense typically punished by a four-year ban.
The AIU issued a Notice of Charge on22 August, proposing a four-year suspension.
Chepng’etich, however, accepted responsibility within 20 days, earning a one-year reduction under the Early Admission rule, reducing her punishment to three years.
With Chepng’etich now banned, questions are being raised about the messages that formed part of the investigation.
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Many argue that if her phone was taken and a full forensic analysis was conducted, then tangible details, such as the names of the people who sent her the messages or the sources of the images found on her phone, should have been made public.
The AIU hinted that further text messages may be released as part of the ongoing investigation, leaving open the possibility that more revelations could emerge in the months ahead.
