Meseret Defar Tola is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes chiefly in the 3,000 metres and 5,000 metres events. She has won medals at top-tier international competitions including Olympic and World Championship gold medals over 5,000 metres. She broke the world record in the event in 2006, broke it again in 2007 and held it until 2008, when fellow Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba beat her time.
Race walking, or racewalking, is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics. Although a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. Race judges carefully assess that this is maintained throughout the race. Typically held on either roads or running tracks, common distances range from 3,000 metres (1.9 mi) up to 100 kilometres (62.1 mi).
Ileana Salvador is a former Italian race walker who won eight medals at the World Championships and European Championships
Elisa Rigaudo is an Italian race walker from Cuneo.
Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot is a Kenyan long-distance runner. She represented Kenya at the Summer Olympics in 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2016, winning the silver medal in the 5,000 metres and bronze in the 10,000 metres at the 2012 London Olympics as well as gold in the 5,000 m and silver in the 10,000 m at the 2016 Rio Olympics, setting a new Olympic record in the former. Cheruiyot won the silver medal in the 5,000 m at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics and became the world champion in the event at the 2009 edition, repeating this achievement in 2011, when she also won the 10,000 m. She added gold for the latter event at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. After taking a silver in the 3,000 metres at the 2010 World Indoor Championships, Cheruiyot won a number of outdoor 5,000 m titles that year, becoming Commonwealth Games, African and Continental Cup champion, as well as winning the Diamond League title.
Sylvia Jebiwott Kibet is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner. She was the silver medallist in the 5000 metres at the World Championships in Athletics in both 2009 and 2011. She also won medals over the distance at the 2006 African Championships in Athletics, the 2007 All-Africa Games and 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Genzebe Dibaba Keneni is an Ethiopian middle- and long-distance runner. A 1,500 metres 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist, she won a gold medal in this event and a bronze in the 5,000 metres at the 2015 World Championships. Genzebe is the current world record holder for the indoor events of the one mile, 3,000m and 5,000m.
Eleonora Anna Giorgi is an Italian race walker bronze medal at the 2019 World Athletics Championships. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in 20 km walk.
Deborah Dawn "Debbie" Scott-Bowker is a Canadian former middle- and long-distance runner. A three-time Olympian for Canada, she reached the 1500 m final in 1984, and both the 1500 m and 3000 m finals in 1988. She was also a three-time World Championship finalist, reaching the 1500 m and 3000 m finals in 1987, and the 1500 m final in 1991.
Susan Krumins is a Dutch middle- and long-distance runner. She was the 5000 metres bronze medalist at the 2014 European Athletics Championships and also won a 3000 metres bronze at the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup.
Dane Alex Bird-Smith is an Australian racewalking athlete. He competes in the 20 kilometres race walk, and has a best of 1:19:28 hours for the distance, set in 2017. He competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he was the bronze medallist. Bird-Smith represented Australia at the World Championships in Athletics three times, and has appeared four times at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships/Cup.
Siv Gustavsson[nb] is a Swedish former racewalking athlete. She was the gold medallist at the 1981 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, making her the second ever female world champion in the sport.
Sue Cook is an Australian former racewalking athlete. She is a former world record holder in the 10 kilometres race walk and the 20 kilometres race walk. She competed six times at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup, taking bronze in 1983, and was selected for Australia for the 1987 World Championships in Athletics.
Margareta Simu is a Swedish former racewalking athlete. She competed three times at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup and was the winner in 1975 and bronze medallist in 1977. On her last appearance in 1979 she placed eighth.
Thorill Gylder is a Norwegian female former racewalking athlete and speaker. A member of Vansjø/Svinndal IL sports club, she competed from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. She competed three times at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup and after a fourth-place finish in 1975 she took the 5 km walk bronze medal in 1979.
Britt Holmquist is a Swedish former racewalking athlete. She was twice a competitor at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup and was the bronze medallist in the first ever women's race in 1975. She was part of a Swedish medal sweep alongside Margareta Simu and Siv Gustavsson. While both Simu and Gustavsson returned to the podium at the 1977 edition, Holmquist fell back to fifth behind British opposition.
Ann Jansson is a Swedish former racewalking athlete.
María Reyes Sobrino Jiménez is a Spanish former racewalking athlete who competed mainly in the 3000 metres race walk and 10 kilometres race walk. Her greatest achievement was a gold medal at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in 1988. She was a five-time participant at the IAAF World Racewalking Cup and twice a World Championships in Athletics competitor.
Monica Gunnarsson is a Swedish female former racewalking athlete. She was a seven-time participant at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup, racing at every edition from 1983 to 1995. Her best finish at the competition was 14th, achieved in 1991. She also represented her country at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics, where she was sixth overall, and was eighth at the European Athletics Championships in 1986 and 1990. She was a bronze medallist at the 1987 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
Melissa Courtney-Bryant is a British middle- and long-distance runner. She won the bronze medal in the 1500 metres at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and bronze for the 3000 metres at the 2019 and 2023 European Indoor Championships.
