Paul Kibii Tergat is a Kenyan former professional long distance runner. He became the first Kenyan man to set the world record in the marathon in 2003, with a time of 2:04:55, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished long-distance runners of all time. Runnerworld called him the "Most comprehensive runner of all time".
Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima is a Brazilian retired long-distance runner. He was born in Cruzeiro do Oeste, Paraná. While leading the marathon after 35 km at the 2004 Summer Olympics, he was attacked on the course by Irish former priest Cornelius "Neil" Horan. Following the incident, de Lima fell from first to third place, eventually winning the bronze medal. He was later awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal for his sportsmanship shown in that race.
Lee Joseph Troop is an Olympic marathon runner from Geelong, Victoria, Australia. He started out as a long-distance track runner and he represented Australia in the 5000 m at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and attended his first World Athletics Championships the following year. He broke the Australian record in the 5000 m in 1999 and changed to the marathon distance in 2000.
Tanzania is represented at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne by a xx-member strong contingent comprising xx sportspersons and xx officials. The squad ended up in 19th place in the overall medal count, with one gold and one bronze.
Oussama "Ous" Mellouli is a Tunisian swimmer who competes in the freestyle and medley events. He is a three-time Olympic medalist, is an African record holder, and trains with the USC Trojans team based at the University of Southern California, where he studied as a computer science undergraduate and swam collegiately.
Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon and formerly specialized at the 5000 metre distance. Regarded as one of the greatest marathon runners of all time, he is the 2016 and 2020 Olympic marathon champion, and was the world record holder in the marathon with a time of 2:01:09 set at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, until that record was broken by Kelvin Kiptum at the Chicago Marathon on 8 October 2023 with a time of 2:00:35. He has run five of the nine fastest marathons in history.
Yonas Andebrhan Kifle is an Eritrean runner who specializes in the 10,000 metres, the marathon and cross-country running. He has represented Eritrea at the Olympics on four occasions; in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. He has also competed at World Championship-level in cross country, road running, and on the track indoors and outdoors.
Souad Aït Salem, also known as Souad Aït Mahour-Bacha is an Algerian long-distance runner who specializes mainly in the half marathon and marathon. She won gold in the 10,000 metres at the 2000 African Championships in Athletics and the 2005 Mediterranean Games. Salem also won the gold in the half marathon at the 2007 All-Africa Games. She holds the Algerian records for every women's event between 3000 metres and the marathon distance.
Luke Kibet Bowen is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon. He won the marathon race at the 2007 World Championships.
Bayron Efrén Piedra Avilés is an Ecuadorian middle distance and long-distance runner.
Helalia Lukeiko Johannes, also known as Hilaria Johannes, is a Namibian long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon. She holds the Namibian records in the 10 km, 20 km, half marathon and marathon events.
David Kitur is a retired Kenyan runner, who specialised in 400 metres.
Samson Kiflemariam Gashazghi is an Eritrean long-distance runner who specializes in the 5000 metres, cross-country running, but as mountain runner he won 2010 World Mountain Running Championships.
Stephen Kiprotich is a Ugandan long-distance runner. He is an Olympic marathon champion, having won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Kiprotich also won a gold at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics. After Gezahegne Abera, he is the second person to follow an Olympic marathon title with a world championship gold medal for the same event.
Getuli Amnaay Bayo is a Tanzanian marathon runner. He set his personal best time of 2:10:45, by finishing third at the 2005 Zurich Marathon. He is also the brother of Zebedayo Bayo, who competed for the same event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Mohamed Ikoki Msandeki is a Tanzanian marathon runner. He set his personal best time of 2:11:01, at the 2010 Gutenberg Marathon in Mainz, Germany Msandeki represented Tanzania at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he competed for the men's marathon, along with his compatriots Samson Ramadhani and Faustine Mussa. However, he withdrew from the games on the day before the marathon event, because of illness.
Arkadiusz Rafał Sowa is a Polish marathon runner. He set a personal best time of 2:12:00, by finishing seventh at the 2007 Berlin Marathon.
Ndabili Bashingili is a Botswana marathon runner. Bashingili made his official debut for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where he placed twenty-fifth out of a hundred runners in the men's marathon, with a time of 2:18:09.
Tanzania competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Seven athletes, five men and two women, competed in five events across three sports, but did not win any medals. Hilal Hemed Hilal, however, set a new national record in the men's 50 m freestyle event. Four athletes took part in track and field athletics, all in marathons, while two participated in the swimming tournament's 50 m freestyle category. The flagbearer for the opening ceremony was Andrew Thomas Mlugu, who was Tanzania's first Olympic judoka. His counterpart in the closing ceremony was Alphonce Felix Simbu, who had earned the nation's best finish at the Games by placing fifth in the men's marathon. Prior to these Games, Tanzania had sent athletes to twelve editions of the Summer Olympics.
Sara Ramadhani Makera is a Tanzanian long distance runner who specialises in the marathon. She competed in the women's marathon event at the 2016 Summer Olympics where she finished in 121st place with a time of 3:00:03.
Tanzania 
