The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of 42.195 km, usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair divisions. More than 800 marathons are held throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes, as larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants.
Kenenisa Bekele Beyecha is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. He was the world record holder in both the 5000-metre and 10000-metre from 2004 (5,000m) and 2005 (10,000m) until 2020. He won the gold medal in both the 5000 m and 10,000 m events at the 2008 Summer Olympics. At the 2004 Olympics, he won the gold medal in the 10,000 m and the silver medal in the 5000 m.
Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon and formerly specialized at the 5000 metre distance. Regarded as the greatest marathon runner of all time, he is the 2016 and 2020 Olympic marathon champion and the world record holder in the marathon with a time of 2:01:09 set at the 2022 Berlin Marathon. He has run four of the six fastest marathons in history.
Sir Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah is a British-Somali long-distance runner. His ten global championship gold medals make him the most successful male track distance runner ever, and he is the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history.
Abdihakem "Abdi" Abdirahman is an American long-distance runner. He is a five-time Olympian competing for the United States in the 10,000 meters and the marathon.
Feyisa Lilesa is an Oromo long-distance runner from Ethiopia. He became the youngest man to run under 2:06 when he ran 2:05:23 in the men's marathon at the 2010 Rotterdam Marathon. He set his personal best of 2:04:52 in the marathon when he came in second place at the 2012 Chicago Marathon.
Stephen Mokoka is a South African long-distance runner who competes in races ranging from 3000 metres to the 50 km distance. He formerly held the 50 km world record. He is a four-time medalist at the Universiade and has represented South Africa internationally in road, cross country, and track events. He represented South Africa in the marathon at the 2012 London Olympics.
Jemima Jelagat Sumgong is a Kenyan long-distance runner specialising in marathon races.
Paulo Roberto de Almeida Paula is a Brazilian long-distance runner who competes in marathon races. He finished 8th at the 2012 Olympics and 15th at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He is a member of the Cruzeiro Sport Club.
Olivier Irabaruta is a Burundian long-distance runner. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed in the Men's 5000 metres, finishing 29th overall in Round 1, failing to qualify for the final.
El Hassan El-Abbassi is a Moroccan-born long-distance runner who competes internationally for Bahrain. He was the gold medallist in the 10,000 metres at the 2014 Asian Games and the 2015 Asian Athletics Championships. He has a personal best of 27:25.02 minutes for that distance. El-Abbassi is currently suspended from competition due to an Athletics Integrity Unit investigation following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Esther Erb Atkins is an American long-distance runner. She competed in the marathon event at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, China.
Abdi Nageeye is a Somali-Dutch long-distance runner from the Netherlands. He won the silver medal in the marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Nageeye placed third at the 2022 New York City Marathon.
Callum Robert Hawkins is a British distance runner, who competed in the marathon at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He is the Scottish record holder in the marathon and the British all-time number three at that distance behind Mo Farah and Steve Jones. Hawkins is also the all-time Great Britain number two in the half marathon. He is the Great Scottish Run course record holder and was the first British man to win that event in 23 years.
Derek John Hawkins is a British distance runner. He competed in the marathon at the 2016 Summer Olympics and placed 114th.
Sondre Nordstad Moen is a Norwegian long-distance runner. He set a European record in marathon in 2017 when winning the Fukuoka Marathon, a record he held for ten months. He has also held European records in 25,000 metres, and in one hour run.
Marhu Teferi is an Ethiopian-born Israeli marathon and half marathon runner, silver medallist in marathon at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich. He represented Israel at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the Marathon. He also represented Israel at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He has set Israeli records in both the marathon and half marathon.
Boonthung Srisung is a Thai long-distance runner. Srisung graduated from the Institute of Physical Education in Sukhothai, Thailand, and is currently coached by Nikorn Kansong.
Mohamed Fuad "Mo" Hrezi is a Libyan-American marathon runner. He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the marathon and finished in 77th place with a time of 2:21:17. He was the flag bearer for Libya at the Parade of Nations. Hrezi was born and raised in the United States; he qualified to compete for Libya through dual citizenship.
Nicolae Alexandru Soare is a Romanian long distance runner who specialises in the marathon. He competed in the men's marathon event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He won silver medals in the 10,000 metres at the 2015 and 2017 Universiades. In 2020, he competed in the men's race at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships held in Gdynia, Poland.
Democratic Republic of the Congo 
