Athletics wishes it could scrub the women’s marathon world record – what can be done?
Ruth Chepngetich’s failed doping test, five months after she obliterated the record in 2024, left the sport deeply uneasy but powerless to act
TL;DR
- Ruth Chepngetich's marathon world record, set two years ago, still stands despite her failing a doping test five months later and receiving a three-year ban.
- The Athletics Integrity Unit considers the situation with Chepngetich's record "not satisfactory" but notes that the world anti-doping code protects athletes' rights.
- The World Anti-Doping Agency states that removing results before a positive test, without evidence of doping at the time, would breach legal principles.
- Suggestions like a 'social contract' for athletes to forfeit records if they later test positive are complex and unlikely to be implemented due to the need for widespread agreement and code changes.
- Despite this case, athletics is credited with actively catching cheats, with 317 elite Kenyan athletes caught by the AIU since 2017.
- There are positive signs, with sponsors like Adidas and Nike paying for extra testing for their athletes before major races.