Catherine Nyambura Ndereba is a retired Kenyan marathon runner. Between 2003 and 2008, she finished in the top two in five successive global championship marathons. Ndereba has twice won the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics and won silver medals at the Summer Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008. She is also a four-time winner of the Boston Marathon and a two-time winner of the Chicago Marathon. It was at the latter in 2001 that she broke the women's marathon world record with a time of 2:18:47.
Ruggell is a municipality of Liechtenstein. It is the northernmost and lowest elevated municipality. As of 2019, it has a population of 2,322.
Nebiat Habtemariam Measho is an Eritrean long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon. She was the first woman to represent Eritrea at the Olympics. Earlier in her career, she ran the 5000 metres and cross-country running. She is a three-time participant at the Summer Olympics. She has a marathon best of 2:32:04 hours set at the 2008 Hamburg Marathon, where she was seventh.
East Timor (Timor-Leste) competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China which was held from 8 to 24 August. The country's participation at Beijing marked its second appearance in the Summer Olympics since its debut in the 2004 Summer Olympics. The delegation included Augusto Ramos Soares and Mariana Diaz Ximenez, both of whom were marathoners that qualified via wildcard places as the nation had no athletes that met the "A" or "B" qualifying standards. Ximenez was selected as flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Neither of the two athletes finished their events; Soares did not even start.
Cape Verde competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Their participation marked their fourth Olympic appearance. Two Cape Verdeans competed in the Olympic games: Nelson Cruz participated as a marathon runner, and Wania Monteiro participated in gymnastics. Another athlete, Lenira Santos, was selected to compete in athletics but was forced to pull out due to injury. Monteiro was selected as the flag bearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies. Neither of the Cape Verdeans progressed beyond the first round.
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.
Bolivia sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, China. The South American country's delegation was the fifteenth Summer Olympic team and seventeenth overall Olympic team overall sent by the country. Bolivia's National Olympic Committee sent seven athletes–three women and four men–across five sports and seven distinct events. A substantial number of the athletes originated in southern Bolivian cities, most notably Santa Cruz de la Sierra. All athletes except for cyclist Horacio Gallardo finished their events, although no medals were won by the country at these Games. Trap shooter César Menacho was the Bolivian flag bearer at the ceremonies.
Djibouti took part in the 2008 Summer Olympics, which were held in Beijing, China from 8 to 24 August 2008. The country's participation at Beijing marked its sixth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1984. The Djibouti delegation included two athletes in 2008; Mahamoud Farah, a middle-distance runner, and Fathia Ali Bouraleh, a sprinter. Hussein Ahmed Salah, Djibouti's only Olympic medalist, was selected as the flag bearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies despite not competing in 2008. None of the Djiboutian athletes progressed further than the heat round.
The men's marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on 24 August at 7:30am in Beijing, ending in the Beijing National Stadium. It was the last time in Summer Olympics history that the start and/or finish of the men's marathon route was located inside the Olympic Stadium. Ninety-five athletes from 56 nations competed. The winner of the event was Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya, who set an Olympic record in the time of two hours, six minutes, and 32 seconds. It was Kenya's first victory in the men's marathon. Morocco won its first medal in the event since 1960, with Jaouad Gharib's silver. Tsegay Kebede of Ethiopia took bronze.
The women's marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on August 17 around an urban circuit specifically designed for the competition at Beijing, and finished in the Beijing National Stadium; it was, as of today, the last time in Summer Olympics history in which women's marathon route start and/or finish was located in the Olympic Stadium. The qualifying standards were 2:37.00 and 2:42.00. There were a total number of 82 competitors from 42 nations.
Ayele Seteng is an Ethiopian-born Israeli long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon.
Liechtenstein competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's sixteenth appearance at the Olympics, excluding the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because of the United States boycott.
Alfredo Arévalo Reyes is a Guatemalan marathon runner. In 2004, he achieved both his personal best and a national record-breaking time of 2:12:53 at the National Capital Marathon in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Aurélie Muller is a French swimmer, who specializes in long-distance freestyle events and open water marathon. She won the 10-kilometer competition at the 2015 world championship in Kazan, Russia and at the 2017 world championship in Budapest, Hungary.
Jorge Torres is an American long-distance and cross-country runner. He is a three-time runner-up at the U.S. Cross-Country Championships, a 2002 NCAA Cross Country Champion, and a 2006 U.S. Outdoor Champion for the 10,000 meters.
Constantino León López is a Peruvian marathon runner. He set a personal best time of 2:17:03, by finishing eleventh at the 2010 Chosunilbo Chunchon International Marathon in Chuncheon, South Korea.
Lee Myong-Seung is a South Korean marathon runner. He set a personal best time of 2:13:25, by finishing ninth at the 2010 Seoul International Marathon. In the same year, he achieved his best career result with a fourth-place finish at the Gyeongju International Marathon, clocking at 2:16:19.
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