Emily Pidgeon born 1 June 1989 in Cheltenham, to parents Stephen and Jessica, is a former UK athlete, specialising in long and middle distance events. [1]
Considered an athletics prodigy as a junior, she is a former 5000 metres European Junior Champion (2005). She was bronze medallist in the 2007 European Junior Championships in Hengelo. In December 2006, Pidgeon, the 2005 silver-medalist at the European JuniCross Country Championships, was in the victorious junior female team at the European Cross Country Championships. She finished fourth individually behind fellow Briton, Stephanie Twell. Pidgeon held the world record for 5000 meters for 14-year-old girls with a time of 16:24.28. It was broken in 2023 by Sophia Rodriguez of the United States of America with a time of 16:22.30.
At the World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa on 24 March 2007, Pidgeon finished 17th; the second British runner and the second European. [2] The Great Britain & NI team finished 5th; the top European team.
Pidgeon and her coach controversially withdrew from a number of events because of disagreements with UK Athletics over training [3]
Having failed to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics, and dogged by injury and form issues since leaving the junior ranks, Pidgeon announced her retirement from the sport, at the age of 24, in January 2014.
Saif Saaeed Shaheen, formerly Stephen Cherono, is a retired steeplechase runner. He was born in Keiyo, Kenya but now he represents Qatar. He was, for 19 years, the world record holder for 3000 metre steeplechase. He is a two time World Champion in the event. His older brother Abraham Cherono is also a steeplechase runner.
Mustafa Hassan Mohamed is a Swedish long-distance runner who mainly competes in the 3000 meter steeplechase.
Paul Kipsiele Koech is a Kenyan runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He won the 2004 Olympic bronze medal in this event. His personal best of 7:54.31 minutes is the third fastest of all time.
Christian Belz is a Swiss long-distance runner. He was initially a steeplechaser and represented Switzerland in the event at the World Championships in Athletics in 1999 and 2001 as well as the 2000 Summer Olympics. He broke the national record with a run of 8:22.24 in June 2001. Later that year he won two bronze medals at the 2001 Summer Universiade.
Günther Weidlinger is an Austrian long-distance runner who is a former 3000 metres steeplechase specialist but now competes in the marathon.
Mercy Wanjiku Njoroge is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in the steeplechase.
Fionnuala McCormack is an Irish runner who has competed at a range of distance running events. She was the gold medallist at the 2011 and 2012 European Cross Country Championships, becoming the first woman to successfully defend the title. She has represented Ireland in the steeplechase at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics, the 2007 World Championships in Athletics and 2011 World Championships in Athletics, and twice at the European Athletics Championships.
Jéssica de Barros Augusto, ComM is a Portuguese runner who competes in cross country, road running and in middle-distance and long-distance track events. At club level, she represents Sporting CP.
Ancuța Bobocel is a Romanian middle-distance runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. She represented Romania at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics and is a three-time participant at the World Championships in Athletics. In 2009, she won the European U23 and Jeux de la Francophonie steeplechase titles, as well as a silver at the Summer Universiade.
Sara Isabel Fonseca MoreiraComM is a Portuguese runner who competes in cross country, road running and in middle-distance and long-distance track events. She represents Sporting CP at club level.
Harriet "Hatti" Archer is a British long-distance runner who competes in cross country and steeplechase. She set three British national records in the 3000 metres steeplechase in 2007, most notably at a rain soaked event at Don Valley Stadium in July of that year. She competed at five World Cross Country Championships between 2005 and 2011, with her best result being 15th in Mombasa in 2007. She finished in the top ten at the European Cross Country Championships in 2008 (8th) and 2010 (7th), an event at which she has also won four team medals.
Inês Alexandra das Neves Monteiro is a Portuguese athlete who competes in middle and long-distance track running, as well as road running and cross country. She started out as a cross country runner, winning a silver and a gold medal at the 1998 and 1999 European junior race. She has represented Portugal at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, and has competed twice at the World Championships in Athletics. She is a regular performer at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, generally finishing around 30th place.
Hamid Ezzine is a Moroccan long-distance runner who specialized in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He is a younger brother of the Olympic runner Ali Ezzine. He finished twelfth in the 5000 metres at the 2002 World Junior Championships, but then turned to the steeplechase. He finished fourth at the 2004 African Championships, won the gold medal at the 2005 Jeux de la Francophonie, finished fifth at the 2006 African Championships and eleventh at the 2007 World Athletics Final. Ezzine also competed at the 2005 World Championships, the 2007 World Championships and the 2008 Olympic Games without reaching the final.
Habiba Ghribi is a Tunisian middle- and long-distance runner who specialises in the 3000 metres steeplechase. She won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, giving her country its first Olympic medal by a woman. She is also the Tunisian record holder in the event, having run 9:05.36 at the Memorial van Damme in Brussels in September 2015.
Katarzyna Kowalska is a Polish long-distance runner who specialises in the 3000 metres steeplechase. She represented Poland at the 2008 Olympic Games and 2012 Olympic Games and reached the final of the 2009 World Championships in Athletics. She also competed at the 2006 European Athletics Championships and the 2007, 2009, and 2013 World Championships.
Elena Romagnolo is an Italian steeplechaser, middle and long-distance runner. She is the national record holder in the 3000 metres steeplechase, but now competes mainly in the 5000 metres.
Kareema Saleh Jasim is a Kenyan-born Bahraini professional long-distance runner who competes in distances ranging from 3000 metres to the half marathon, as well as the steeplechase. She is the Bahraini national record holder in the 10,000 m and steeplechase.
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.
Luke Gunn is a British male track and field athlete who competed in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He married fellow athlete Hannah England in 2013.
Irene Sánchez-Escribano Figueroa is a Spanish runner competing primarily in the 3000 metres steeplechase. She represented her country at the 2017 World Championships without reaching the final.