World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said he was as frustrated as anyone at the farcical situation surrounding the legal world record belonging to banned Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich¡¯s marathon but added that the governing body¡¯s hands are tied.

Chepngetich¡¯s astonishing run of 2 hours, 9 minutes and 56 seconds in Chicago in October 2024 remains the legal world record even though she was handed a three-year anti-doping ban this year, with her results expunged only from March.

Her excuse that she took her housemaid¡¯s medicine was dismissed by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which says it is continuing to investigate Chepngetich for other potential violations.