Ingrid Kristiansen is a Norwegian former athlete. She was one of the best female long-distance runners during the 1980s. She is a former world record holder in the 5000 metres, 10,000 metres and the marathon. Kristiansen was a World Champion on the track, roads and cross-country, becoming the first athlete to win World titles on all three surfaces. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she finished fourth in the first women's Olympic marathon. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, she dropped out of the 10,000 metres final while leading. Early in her career, she was also an elite cross country skier, winning several Norwegian titles and a European junior championships.
Cape Verde sent a delegation to compete at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia from 15 September to 1 October 2000. This was Cape Verde's second appearance at a Summer Olympic Games after the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta four years prior. The Cape Verdean delegation to Sydney consisted of two track and field athletes, Isménia do Frederico and António Zeferino, who were both making their second Olympic appearance. Do Frederico did not advance out of her heat in the women's 100 meters, while Zeferino finished 67th of 81 finishers in the men's marathon.
Djibouti took part in the 2000 Summer Olympics, which were held in Sydney, Australia from 15 September to 1 October. The country's participation at Sydney marked its fifth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its debut at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, United States. The delegation included two track and field athletes; Omar Daher Gadid in the men's marathon and Roda Ali Wais in the women's 800 metres. Gadid failed to finish the marathon, while Wais did not progress past the first round of her event.
The Women's Marathon at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea was held on Friday September 23, 1988. The race started at 09.30h local time and was won by 13 seconds by Rosa Mota of Portugal. There were 70 competitors from 39 countries, with 64 finishers.
The Women's Marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California was held on August 5, 1984. It was the first time a women's marathon had been held at the Olympic Games. The 50 competitors came from 28 countries. 44 finished the race. The world record holder Joan Benoit of the United States won the gold medal by 1m 26, with the silver medal going to the 1983 World champion Grete Waitz of Norway, and bronze to Rosa Mota of Portugal.
The women's marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta was held on Sunday July 28, 1996, beginning at 07:05h local time. Sixty-five athletes finished the race while twenty-one dropped out mid-competition. A total of 86 competitors from 51 countries took part. There were also two competitors, Valentina Enachi of Moldova and Virginie Gloum of the Central African Republic, whose results were deemed unofficial due to procedural errors by their federations in submitting their entries in the event.
The Women's Marathon at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain was held on Saturday August 1, 1992. The race started on 6.30 p.m. local time. A total number of 37 athletes completed the race, with Bakombo Kungu from Zaire finishing in last position in 3:29:10. There were 47 competitors from 31 countries. Nine of them did not finish. The winning margin was 8 seconds.
The Women's Marathon event at the 2000 Summer Olympics took place on 24 September 2000 in the streets of Sydney, Australia.
The women's marathon at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, France, was held on Sunday, 31 August 2003, starting at 14:20h local time.
Elizabeth Anne Yelling is a British long-distance runner currently based in Poole, Dorset. She is the sister-in-law of fellow British runner Hayley Yelling through her marriage to steeplechaser Martin Yelling and is the former training partner of Paula Radcliffe.
Burundi participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, China from 8 to 24 August 2008. It was Burundi's fourth appearance in the summer Olympics since its debut in 1996. The Burundi team included three athletes: runners Joachim Nshimirimana and Francine Niyonizigiye, as well as swimmer Elsie Uwamahoro. Niyonizigiye, a marathon runner, was flag bearer for the opening ceremony. None of the Burundi athletes progressed further than the qualifying round.
The women's marathon T54 was a marathon event in athletics at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, for wheelchair athletes. It was the only marathon event held for women. Wheelchair athletes with a disability level more severe than T54 were permitted to compete in the T54 marathon. Ten athletes, from seven countries, took part; defending champion Kazu Hatanaka of Japan was not among them.
The women's marathon competition of the athletics events at the 2011 Pan American Games took place on the 23 of October at the Pan American Marathon circuit. The defending Pan American Games champion is Mariela González of Cuba.
Uganda competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which was held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The country's participation there marked its 13th appearance in the Summer Olympics since its début at the 1956 Summer Olympics. The delegation consisted of eleven track and field athletes that included Moses Ndiema Kipsiro, Benjamin Kiplagat, and Stephen Kiprotich, one each in badminton and weightlifting, and two swimmers. Ekiring, Ssekyaaya, Mugula, and Lunkuse had qualified through wildcard places, while the rest of the delegation satisfied the Games' qualification standards for their respective events. Mugula was selected as the team captain. Mugula was also selected as the flag bearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies. The country's best result at these Games was a gold medal for Kiproitch in the men's marathon, its first such medal since the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Rwanda competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which was held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The country's participation at London marked its eighth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its début at the 1984 Summer Olympics. The delegation included seven competitors which included three track and field athletes; Robert Kajuga, Jean Pierre Mvuyekure and Claudette Mukasakindi. The other people that represented the country were cross-country cyclist Adrien Niyonshuti, judoka Fred Yannick Uwase, swimmers Jackson Niyomugabo and Alphonsine Agahozo. The track and field athletes qualified for the Games by meeting qualification standards while the remaining four made the Olympics through wildcard places. Niyonshuti was the flag bearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies. No athletes were able to achieve medals at the London Olympic Games.
Malawi competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which was held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The country's participation at London marked its ninth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its début at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The delegation included two track and field athletes; Mike Tebulo and Ambwene Simukonda, and one swimmer; Joyce Tafatatha. Tebulo and Simukonda qualified through wildcard places for their respective events. Tebulo was selected as the flag bearer for the opening and closing ceremonies. Tebulo finished 44th in the men's marathon, while Simukonda did not advance beyond the first round of the women's 400 metres. Tafatatha won her heat in the women's 50 metre freestyle but her time was not fast enough to allow her to progress into the semi-finals of the event.
Lesotho competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which was held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The country's participation at London marked its tenth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its début at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The delegation included three track and field athletes; Tsepo Ramonene, Mosito Lehata and Mamorallo Tjoka, and one swimmer; Masempe Theko. Ramonene and Lehata qualified for the Games by meeting qualification standards, while Tjoka and Theko made the Olympics through wildcard places. Tjoka was selected as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony while Lehata held it at the closing ceremony. Ramonene finished last in the men's marathon and was revived by medical personnel during the event. Lehata did not progress to the semi-finals of the men's 200 metres and Tjoka finished in 90th in the women's marathon. Theko finished 73rd overall in the women's 50 metre freestyle and did not progress to the semi-finals of the event.
Sifan Hassan is a Dutch middle- and long-distance runner. She is most recognized for her versatility in running championship and world-leading performances in widely disparate distances. She completed an unprecedented triple at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, winning gold medals in both the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres and a bronze medal for the 1,500 metres. Hassan is the only athlete in Olympic history to win medals across a middle-distance event and both long-distance races in a single Games. She is only the second of three women to complete an Olympic distance double. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Hassan secured a bronze medal in both the women's 5,000 m and 10,000 m events and gold in the women's marathon, becoming the only woman to win the Olympic gold medal in the 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres and Marathon races.
The marathon at the Summer Olympics is the only road running event held at the multi-sport event. The men's marathon has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since the first modern Olympics in 1896. Nearly ninety years later, the women's event was added to the programme at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Yalemzerf Yehualaw Densa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She won the 2022 London Marathon. Yehualaw is the current world record holder in the 10 kilometres road race, sits second on the world all-time list at the half marathon and tenth on the respective world all-time list for the marathon.
