Tegla Chepkite Loroupe is a Kenyan long-distance track and road runner. She is also a global spokeswoman for peace, women's rights and education. Loroupe holds the world records for 25 and 30 kilometers and previously held the world marathon record. She was the first African woman to hold the marathon World Record, which she held from 19 April 1998 until 30 September 2001. She is the three-time World Half-Marathon champion. Loroupe was also the first woman from Africa to win the New York City Marathon, which she has won twice. She has won marathons in London, Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Berlin and Rome.
Sara Hall is a professional American distance runner. She won the 3000 meter steeplechase at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico representing the United States. Hall’s personal best time for the marathon is 2:20:32 set at the Marathon Project in Chandler, Arizona on December 22, 2020, making her the third-fastest American woman in history. She is the second-fastest American woman to ever run the half marathon, running 1:07:15 on January 16, 2022–an American record at the time.
Hellen Onsando Obiri is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. She is the only woman to have won world titles in indoor track, outdoor track and cross country. Obiri is a two-time Olympic 5000 metres silver medallist from the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she also placed fourth over the 10,000 metres. She is a two-time world champion after winning the 5000 m in 2017 and again in 2019, when she set a new championship record. Obiri also took world bronze for the 1500 metres in 2013 and silver in the 10,000 m in 2022. She won the 3000 metres race at the 2012 World Indoor Championships, claimed silver in 2014, and placed fourth in 2018. She is the 2019 World Cross Country champion. Obiri triumphed in the 2023 Boston Marathon, her second marathon race. She places fifth in the half marathon on the world all-time list.
Joyce Chepkirui is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in road running events. She established herself as a half marathon runner, winning races in Granollers, Bogotá and Gothenburg. She set a best of 1:06:19 hours to win the 2014 Prague Half Marathon. She also competes in 10K road races and her personal best of 30:38 minutes makes her fifth fastest woman ever.
Lesotho competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which was held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The country's participation at London marked its tenth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its début at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The delegation included three track and field athletes; Tsepo Ramonene, Mosito Lehata and Mamorallo Tjoka, and one swimmer; Masempe Theko. Ramonene and Lehata qualified for the Games by meeting qualification standards, while Tjoka and Theko made the Olympics through wildcard places. Tjoka was selected as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony while Lehata held it at the closing ceremony. Ramonene finished last in the men's marathon and was revived by medical personnel during the event. Lehata did not progress to the semi-finals of the men's 200 metres and Tjoka finished in 90th in the women's marathon. Theko finished 73rd overall in the women's 50 metre freestyle and did not progress to the semi-finals of the event.
Jessica Stenson is an Australian athlete who won the gold medal in the marathon at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. As a long-distance runner, she competes in distances from 5000 metres up to the marathon. She represented Australia at the 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in the marathon.
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.
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.
Angie Rocio Orjuela Soche is a Colombian long distance runner who specialises in the marathon. She competed in the women's marathon event at the 2016 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in the women's marathon event. In 2020, she competed in the women's half marathon at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships held in Gdynia, Poland.
Kenya competed at the 2019 African Games held from 19 to 31 August 2019 in Rabat, Morocco. In total, 290 athletes were scheduled to represent Kenya at 12th edition of the African Games. This later dropped to 259 athletes. Athletes representing Kenya won 11 gold medals, 10 silver medals and 10 bronze medals and the country finished 7th in the medal table.
Chad competed at the 2019 African Games held from 19 to 31 August 2019 in Rabat, Morocco. In total, four bronze medals were won and the country finished 36th in the medal table.
Tanzania competed at the 2019 African Games held from 19 to 31 August 2019 in Rabat, Morocco. Athletes representing Tanzania competed in two sports, athletics and judo, and did not win any medals.
Tsehay Gemechu is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She finished fourth in the 5000 metres at the 2019 World Athletics Championships. Gemechu won the 10,000 metres at the 2019 African Games. She placed second at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon.
Zeineba Yimer is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She represented Ethiopia at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Morocco and won the silver medal in the women's 10,000 metres event.
Dolshi Tesfu is an Eritrean long-distance runner. In 2019, she competed in the senior women's race at the 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships held in Aarhus, Denmark. She finished in 38th place.
Natalia Elisante Sulle is a Tanzanian long-distance runner. She competed in the senior women's race at the 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships held in Aarhus, Denmark. She finished in 68th place.
Kokob TesfagabrielSolomon is an Eritrean long-distance runner. In 2018, she competed in the women's half marathon at the 2018 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships held in Valencia, Spain. She finished in 38th place.
Darya Mykhaylova or Dariia Mykhailova is a Ukrainian long-distance runner. She competed in the women's marathon at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.
Marthe Yankurije is a Rwandan long-distance runner. In 2018, she won her country's 10,000 metres and Cross-Country Championships. She also won the half marathon race at the 2021 Kigali International Peace Marathon, and competed in the 5,000 metres event at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics.
Helen Jepkurgat is a Kenyan-born athlete competing in middle- and long-distance running who has won major races in the United States, France and Italy. In the 2019 African Games, Jepkurgat was one of three women chosen to compete for Kenya in the African Half Marathon Championship. She was the top Kenyan competitor in a race that saw Ethiopians sweep the podium. She finished in fourth place with a time of 1:12:29, a few seconds behind Tola Mesetey Belete.
