Derartu Tulu NL COL is an Ethiopian former long-distance runner, who competed in track, cross country running, and road running up to the marathon distance.
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.
Werknesh Kidane, is an Ethiopian long distance runner from Tigray who competes in both 5000 and 10,000 metres. She has won numerous medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and represented Ethiopia at the Summer Olympics in 2000, 2004 and 2012. She was the silver medallist at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics and a gold medallist at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Lornah Kiplagat is a Dutch professional long-distance runner. She was born in Kabiemit, Rift Valley Province, Kenya and moved to the Netherlands in 1999. She gained Dutch citizenship in 2003 and has competed for the Netherlands ever since. She used to run not only road events but also in cross country and track and field.
Kayoko Fukushi is a Japanese long-distance runner, who specializes in the 5000, 10,000 metres and marathon. Fukushi represented Japan at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the bronze medallist in the marathon at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics. She holds a marathon best of 2:22:17 hours.
Eyerusalem Kuma is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who competes in marathons. She has a personal best of 2:24:55 hours for the distance and was the 2009 winner of the Amsterdam Marathon.
Mestawet Tufa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She was the winner of the women's 10,000 metres at the 2007 All-Africa Games and the runner up in the senior women's race at the 2008 World Cross Country Championships.
Florence Jebet Kiplagat is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner. She is a two-time world champion, having won at the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. She was the world record holder for the women's half marathon with a time of 1:05:09 hours until it was broken by Peres Jepchirchir on 10 February 2017 at the RAK Half Marathon.
Koren Jelela, also known as Koren Jelila Yal, is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.
Deriba Merga Ejigu is an Ethiopian professional long-distance runner. He mainly competes in the marathon. He finished fourth in that event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and went on to win the Boston Marathon the following year. His personal best for the distance is 2:06:38 hours.
Aheza Kiros is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres.
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.
Mary Jepkosgei Keitany is a Kenyan former professional long distance runner. She was the world record holder in a women-only marathon, having won the 2017 London Marathon in a time of 2:17:01. As of November 2022, she placed fifth on the world all-time list at the marathon and eleventh on the respective world all-time list for the half marathon.
Mare Dibaba Hurrsa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She won the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing. Dibaba is not related to track Olympic champion, world record holder and compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba.
Merima Mohammed Hasen is an Ethiopian professional long-distance runner who competes in road running events, including the marathon. Her personal best of 2:23:06 hours for the distance makes her the second fastest teenager ever over the 42.195 kilometres (26.219 mi) distance. She has won marathons in Düsseldorf, Nice and Ottawa. She represented Ethiopia at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2011.
Belaynesh Oljira Jemama is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes mainly in 10K and half marathon races. She represented her country at the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 World Championships and the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2011 and 2013.
Erba Tiki Gelana is an Ethiopian professional long-distance runner who competes in marathon races. Her personal best of 2:18:58 remained the Ethiopian national record for the event from 2012 to 2017. She won the 2011 Amsterdam Marathon and the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon. She won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics with a time of 2:23:07, a new Olympic record.
Dawit Wolde is an Ethiopian middle distance runner who specialises in the 1500 metres. A medallist at the World Youth Championships and the African Junior Athletics Championships, he has represented Ethiopia at the African Championships in Athletics and the All-Africa Games. He was chosen to compete at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Olympics. His 1500 m personal best is 3:33.82 minutes.
Netsanet Gudeta Kebede is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in road running and cross country running events. She was the bronze medallist at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2015. She shared in the team title at that competition and also won team silver at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2014. Her best for the half marathon is 66:11 minutes.
Tesfaye Abera Dibaba is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in marathons. His personal best of 2:04:24 hours ranks him in the all-time top ten, as of 2016. He has won marathons in Dubai, Hamburg and Mumbai. He twice represented Ethiopia at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, taking the team title in 2013 and in 2015.
South Africa 
