| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Italian |
| Born | November 2, 1934 |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Italy |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | Marathon |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) |
|
Maria Pia D'Orlando (born 2 November 1934) is an Italian former long-distance runner who competed in the marathon. She was the first female Italian national champion in the marathon. Her personal best of 2:46:13 hours for that event was previously masters world record in the over-45 age category.
She had an exceptional run of success about the age of 45. Just days before her 45th birthday, 21 October 1979, she won the masters division of the New York Marathon in 2:54:58 [1] on what was later judged to be a short course. [2] In January 1980, she won the Monza Marathon for the second time in 2:54:31. She had also won in 1978 in a comparable 2:54:16. [3] She took on a full schedule at the European Veterans Championships in Helsinki, winning the 1500 metres, the 5000 metres and the Marathon in 3:02:00. [4] On 12 October 1980 she won the Italian National Championship (open division) in Rieti the first time the championship was offered for women in 2:49:22.4. [5]
In early 1981, she went to Christchurch, New Zealand, where she dominated the WAVA Championships taking home gold in the W45 1500 metres, 5000 metres and the cross country event. [6] The 18:09.03 in the 5000 m was a W45 world record. It lasted as the Italian masters record until 2009. [7] On 13 September 1981 she improved her marathon time to 2:48:46 in Agen, France. [8] Then on 9 May 1982 she improved her time again to 2:46:13 for the W45 world record in Verona.
This list is a chronological progression of record times for the marathon. World records in the marathon are now ratified by World Athletics, the international governing body for the sport of athletics.
Grete Waitz was a Norwegian marathon runner and former world record holder. In 1979, at the New York City Marathon, she became the first woman in history to run the marathon in under two and a half hours. Waitz won nine New York City Marathons, women's division, between 1978 and 1988, the highest number of victories in a single big city marathon in history. She won the silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and a gold medal at the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki. She was also a five-time winner of the World Cross Country Championships.
Elizabeth Nuttall is a Scottish former middle- and long-distance runner. She won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1991 World Championships and a silver over the same distance at the 1988 Olympic Games. McColgan earned a silver in the 3000 metres at the 1989 World Indoor Championships. She was a two-time gold medalist in the event at the Commonwealth Games, 1992 World Half Marathon champion and a two-time individual medallist at the World Cross Country Championships. She claimed three victories at the World Marathon Majors: at the 1991 New York City Marathon, 1992 Tokyo Marathon and 1996 London Marathon.
Ingrid Kristiansen is a Norwegian former athlete. She was one of the best female long-distance runners during the 1980s. She is a former world record holder in the 5000 metres, 10,000 metres and the marathon. Kristiansen was a World Champion on the track, roads and cross-country, becoming the first athlete to win World titles on all three surfaces. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she finished fourth in the first women's Olympic marathon. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, she dropped out of the 10,000 metres final while leading. Early in her career, she was also an elite cross country skier, winning several Norwegian titles and a European junior championships.
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.
Sissel Sofie Grottenberg is a retired Norwegian long-distance runner who specialized in the marathon race and half marathon.
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.
Nadia Ejjafini is a Moroccan-born professional long-distance runner. She switched nationality from her birth country to Bahrain in 2003, and later became an Italian citizen by marriage in 2009.
Irina Mikitenko, néeVolynskaya, is a retired German long-distance runner who competed in marathons. She won the Berlin Marathon in 2008 and is a two-time winner of the London Marathon. She has competed at the Summer Olympics on four occasions.
Jill Harrison is an English long-distance runner. She is the 1980 World University Cross Country Champion. At the age of 55 in 2013, she won the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres at the World Masters Athletics Championships.
Mariya Ivanovna Konovalova is a Russian long-distance runner. She has represented Russia in both track running and cross country running and was the silver medallist at the 2006 European Cross Country Championships. She has competed at the World Championships in Athletics on four occasions, and ran for Russia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Joyce Esther SmithMBE is a British former long-distance runner. She broke the world record in the 3000 metres in 1971 and is a three-time medallist at the International/World Cross Country Championships, including winning in 1972. She went on to twice win the London Marathon, becoming the first British woman in history to run under 2:30 when winning in 1981 with 2:29:57, before further improving the British record to 2:29:43 when winning in 1982. She also competed in the 1500 metres at the 1972 Munich Olympics and finished 11th in the marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, aged 46.
Gitte Karlshøj is a Danish long-distance runner. She ran the 3000 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics, finishing in a non-qualifying sixth place in the qualifying round and the marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics, failing to finish. She also made the final at the 1992 World Championships in the 10,000 metres.
Dulce María Rodríguez de la Cruz is a Mexican long-distance runner who competes in track and road running events, including the marathon. A three-time Olympian for Mexico, she has also run for Mexico at the World Championships in Athletics on three occasions.
Martha "Marty" Cooksey is an American former long-distance runner who competed in events ranging from 5000 meters to the marathon. She achieved her marathon best time of 2:35:42 hours at the American Olympic Trials in 1984.
Caroline Jepchirchir Chepkwonynb is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in road running competitions.
Yasemin Can is a Kenyan female long distance runner representing Turkey who specialises in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres. She is the reigning 10,000 m European champion. Can is a six-time European Championship medallist, including three gold medals and the 5000 m/10,000 m double in 2016, and a four-time European Cross Country champion.
Lonah Korlima Chemtai Salpeter is a Kenyan-Israeli runner. She won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. At the European Athletics Championships, Chemtai took victory in the 10,000 metres in 2018 and earned bronze in 2022. She won the 2020 Tokyo Marathon, finished second at the 2022 New York City Marathon and third at the 2023 Boston Marathon.
Yuko Gordon is a Japan-born Hong Kong long-distance runner who competed mainly in the marathon. She represented her country in that event at the 1984 Summer Olympics and the 1983 World Championships in Athletics. She holds a personal best of 2:38:32 hours, set in 1987.
Bronwen Cardy-Wise is a British long-distance runner. She competed in the half marathon for Britain at the 1993 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and was a regular winner of British half marathons during the 1980s and 1990s.
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