List of marathoners
This is a list of marathoners who are athletes notable for their achievements in the marathon. For a list of people notable in other fields who have also run marathons, see List of marathoners who are non-running specialists.
Legend[]
Tom Longboat was a dominant runner in the 1900s
| Symbol/Column | Description |
|---|---|
 |
Gold medal in the Olympics, IAAF World Championships or World Marathon Majors |
 |
Silver medal in the Olympics, IAAF World Championships or World Marathon Majors |
 |
Bronze medal in the Olympics, IAAF World Championships or World Marathon Majors |
| (#) | Placement in any major marathon competition ranked 4th or below |
| Name | Athlete's name |
| Names in bold are current or former world record holders. | |
| Country | Athlete's citizenship during competition |
| Olympics | Placement in the Olympics |
| IAAF WC | Medal years in the IAAF World Championships |
| WMM | Placement in the World Marathon Majors |
| 1st | Marathon Victories. Number of times athlete placed first in a marathon (excludes Olympics and World Championships) |
| Career Best | Fastest marathon time during career |
| Other | Other notable information |
Men[]
Haile Gebrselassie is regarded as one of the greatest distance runners in history.
Sohn Kee-chung is the first Korean Olympic Champion in any discipline.
| Name | Country | Olympics | IAAF WC | WMM | 1s | Career Best | Other | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gezahegne Abera |  Ethiopia
|
2000
|
2001
|
5 | 2:07:54 | First to win gold at Olympics and World Championships | [1] | |
| Abel Antón |  Spain
|
1997 1999
|
2 | 2:07:54 | First to win two golds at World Championships | |||
| Stefano Baldini |  Italy
|
2004 (12) 2008 |
2001 2003
|
3 | Two time European champion | |||
| Dick Beardsley |  United States
|
3 | The "Duel in the Sun" with Alberto Salazar at the 1982 Boston Marathon. | |||||
| Abebe Bikila | Ethiopia
|
1960 1964
|
First black African gold medalist by winning in Rome barefoot, previous world record holder | |||||
| Gelindo Bordin | Italy
|
1988
|
1987
|
6 | Two time European champion | |||
| Amby Burfoot | United States
|
1 | 2:14:28 | Boston Marathon winner | ||||
| Dionicio Cerón |  Mexico
|
7 | 2:12:13 | [2] | ||||
| Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot |  Kenya
|
2006/2007 2007/2008 2008/2009
|
7 | 2:07:14 | ||||
| Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot | Kenya
|
2 | 2:05:52 | |||||
| Waldemar Cierpinski |  East Germany
|
1976 1980
|
1983
|
|||||
| Andrea Cionna | Italy
|
2:31:59 | World record holder for the fastest marathon run by a totally blind man | |||||
| Derek Clayton |  Australia
|
2:08:34 | The first to run a world record under 02:10:00 | |||||
| Robert de Castella | Australia
|
1983
|
4 | 2:07:51 | Former marathon world record holder; holds Australian national record | |||
| Belayneh Densamo | Ethiopia
|
7 | 2:06:50 | Held the world record for the span of 10 years. | ||||
| Leonard Edelen | United States
|
1964 | 2:14:28 | In 1963, he became the first American to hold the world record since 1925. | ||||
| Steve Edwards | First person to complete 500 sub 3:30:00 marathons | [3] | ||||||
| Stefaan Engels |  Belgium
|
First person to complete 365 marathons in 365 days | [4] | |||||
| Martín Fiz | Spain
|
(4) 1996 | 19951997
|
3 | ||||
| Haile Gebrselassie | Ethiopia
|
2006/2007 2007/2008 2008/2009
|
9 | 2:03:59 | Winner of many distance racing championships and holder of 27 world records | [5] | ||
| Jaouad Gharib |  Morocco
|
2008
|
20032005
|
2:05:27 | ||||
| Rodolfo Gómez | Mexico
|
(19) 1976 (6) 1980 |
3 | 2:09:33 | ||||
| Ryan Hall | United States
|
(10) 2008 (DNF) 2012 |
2:04:58 | |||||
| Hal Higdon | United States
|
Freelance writer for Runner's World; a founder of Road Runners Club of America | ||||||
| Ron Hill |  United Kingdom
|
1964 1972 |
2:09:28 | |||||
| Hwang Young-Cho |  South Korea
|
1992
|
3 | 2:08:09 | ||||
| Juma Ikangaa |  Tanzania
|
(6) 1984 (7) 1988 (34) 1992 |
||||||
| Steve Jones | United Kingdom
|
4 | 2:07:13 | Former marathon world record holder | ||||
| Veikko Karvonen |  Finland
|
(5) 1952 | ||||||
| Yuki Kawauchi |  Japan
|
(18) 2011, 2013 | 10 | 2:07:27 | More than 100 sub 2:20 marathons | |||
| Tsegaye Kebede | Ethiopia
|
2008
|
2009
|
(5) 2008/2009 2009/2010
|
4 | 2:05:18 | ||
| Meb Keflezighi | United States
|
2004
|
1 | 2:08:37 | ||||
| Khalid Khannouchi | Morocco United States
|
5 | 2:05:42 | Former marathon world record holder | ||||
| Dennis Kipruto Kimetto | Kenya}
|
2:02:57 | Former marathon world record holder | |||||
| Eliud Kipchoge | Kenya}
|
2016
|
2:01:39 | Current marathon world record holder (2018) | ||||
| Stephen Kiprotich |  Uganda
|
2012
|
2013
|
2:07:20 | ||||
| Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich | Kenya
|
2012
|
2:03:42 | Former marathon world record holder | ||||
| Abel Kirui | Kenya
|
2012
|
2009 2011
|
2:06:51 | ||||
| Hannes Kolehmainen | Finland
|
1920
|
||||||
| Lee Bong-Ju | South Korea
|
1996
|
2:07:20 | Winner of the Boston Marathon in 2001 | ||||
| Martin Lel | Kenya
|
2007/2008 2006/2007
|
5 | 2:05:15 | ||||
| Vanderlei de Lima |  Brazil
|
2004
|
||||||
| Tom Longboat |  Canada
|
|||||||
| Carlos Lopes |  Portugal
|
1984
|
2:07:12 | Former marathon world record holder | ||||
| Frederick Lorz | United States
|
1 | Disqualified from 1904 Olympics after crossing first, but legitimately won the Boston Marathon a year later | |||||
| Spyridon Louis |  Greece
|
1896
|
First Olympic gold medalist for the marathon | |||||
| Patrick Makau | Kenya
|
2011
|
1 | 2:03:38 | Former marathon world record holder | |||
| Deriba Merga | Ethiopia
|
2 | 2:06:39 | |||||
| Greg Meyer | United States
|
2 | 2:09:00 | Won 1983 Boston Marathon | ||||
| Franjo Mihalić |  Independent State of Croatia Yugoslavia
|
1956
|
1 | 2:21:24 | ||||
| Alain Mimoun |  France
|
1956
|
||||||
| Steve Moneghetti | Australia
|
(5) 1988 1992 1996 (10) 2000 |
1997
|
|||||
| Koichi Morishita | Japan
|
1992
|
2 | 2:08:53 | ||||
| Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai | Kenya
|
2009
|
1 | |||||
| Takeyuki Nakayama | Japan
|
(4) 1988 (4) 1992 |
5 | 2:08:15 | ||||
| Gerard Nijboer |  Netherlands
|
1980
|
2:09:01 | |||||
| Tsuyoshi Ogata | Japan
|
(12) 2003 2005 (5) 2007 |
1 | 2:08:37 | ||||
| Benjamín Paredes | Mexico
|
(8) 1996 (64) 2000 |
2 | 2:10:40 | ||||
| Jim Peters | United Kingdom
|
2:19:22 | Set the World Record four times, the first person to have run a sub-2:20:00 marathon. | |||||
| António Pinto | Portugal
|
1988 1992 (14) 1996 (11) 2000 |
4 | 2:06:36 | One of two holders of European record | |||
| Orlando Pizzolato | Italy
|
(16) 1988 | (7) 1987 | 3 | 2:10:57 | |||
| Hendrick Ramaala |  South Africa
|
(12) 2000 | (9) 2003 (27) 2007 |
2 | 2:09:28 | |||
| Julio Rey | Spain
|
(37) 2001 2003 (8) 2005 |
4 | 2:06:52 | ||||
| Bill Rodgers | United States
|
(40) 1976 | 22 | 2:09:27 | Posted multiple major victories in the late 1970s. Held the American record multiple times. | |||
| Alberto Salazar | United States
|
4 | 2:08:13 | Won the New York Marathon for 3 consecutive years | ||||
| Marílson Gomes dos Santos | Brazil
|
2 | 2:08:43 | First South American to win the New York Marathon | ||||
| Nobuyuki Sato | Japan
|
1999
|
2:08:48 | |||||
| Toshihiko Seko | Japan
|
(14) 1984 (9) 1988 |
10 | 2:08:27 | ||||
| Morio Shigematsu | Japan
|
6 | 2:12:00 | Held world record June 12, 1965 – December 3, 1967 | ||||
| Frank Shorter | United States
|
1972 1976
|
2:10:30 | Only American to win multiple medals in the Olympic marathon | ||||
| Silvio Guerra |  Ecuador
|
(14) 2000 | 2 | 2:09:49 | Holds Ecuadorian Marathon Record since 1997 | |||
| Germán Silva | Mexico
|
(6) 1996 | 2 | 2:08:56 | Won the New York Marathon for two consecutive years | |||
| Fauja Singh | United Kingdom
|
Holder of multiple records in the 90+ age group | ||||||
| Shigeru So | Japan
|
6 | 2:09:05 | |||||
| Takeshi So | Japan
|
(4) 1984 | 4 | 2:08:55 | ||||
| Sohn Kee-chung | Japan
|
1936
|
9 | 2:25:14 | First Korean Olympic Champion in any discipline, while representing Japan. Held the World Record for the longest span of 11.5 years. | |||
| Albin Stenroos | France
|
1924
|
||||||
| Toshinari Takaoka | Japan
|
(4) 2005 | 1 | 2:06:16 | ||||
| Hiromi Taniguchi | Japan
|
(8) 1992 | 1991 |
5 | 2:07:40 | |||
| Josia Thugwane | South Africa
|
1996 (20) 2000 |
4 | 2:07:28 | ||||
| Tesfaye Tola | Ethiopia
|
2000
|
2:06:57 | [6] | ||||
| Erick Wainaina | Kenya
|
1996 2000 (7) 2004 |
(18) 1995 | 7 | 2:08:43 | One of the few athletes[clarification needed] in Olympic history to finish in the top 10 at three separate marathons | ||
| Samuel Wanjiru | Kenya
|
2008
|
(4) 2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010
|
4 | 2:05:10 | Holds current Olympic record | ||
| Mamo Wolde | Ethiopia
|
1968 1972
|
||||||
| Dimitrion Yordanidis |  Greece
|
Oldest man to complete a marathon, at age 98 | [7] | |||||
| Emil Zátopek |  Czechoslovakia
|
1952 (6) 1956 |
Won Olympic gold in his first marathon in Olympic record time | |||||
| Sondre Nordstad Moen |  Norway
|
2:05:48 | First european runner to finish under 2:06:00 (Fukuoka, 2017). |
Women[]
| Name | Country | Olympics | IAAF WC | WMM | 1st | Career Best | Other | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomoe Abe | Japan
|
1993
|
3 | 2:26:09 | Holder of IAAF 100 km Road Women's World Record | |||
| Yukiko Akaba | Japan
|
(5) 2011 | 2:24:08 | |||||
| Elfenesh Alemu | Ethiopia
|
(6) 2000 (4) 2004 |
3 | 2:24:29 | ||||
| Yuko Arimori | Japan
|
1992 1996
|
2 | 2:26:39 | ||||
| Junko Asari | Japan
|
1993
|
3 | 2:26:10 | ||||
| Joan Benoit | United States
|
1984
|
3 | 2:21:21 | First female gold medalist in women's marathon | |||
| Carla Beurskens | Netherlands
|
(22) 1984 (34) 1988 |
(17) 1987 | 14 | 2:28:27 | |||
| Joyce Chepchumba | Kenya
|
2000
|
2:23:22 | |||||
| Masako Chiba | Japan
|
2003
|
4 | 2:21:45 | ||||
| Zhou Chunxiu |  China
|
2008
|
2:19:51 | |||||
| Constantina Diţă-Tomescu |  Romania
|
2008
|
1 | 2:21:30 | ||||
| Adriana Fernández | Mexico
|
1 | 2:24:06 | First Mexican woman to win the New York City Marathon, in a time of 2:25:06 | ||||
| Franca Fiacconi | Italy
|
(13) 1997 | 1 | 2:25:17 | ||||
| Katrin Dörre-Heinig | East Germany Germany
|
1988 (5) 1992 (4) 1996 |
1991 (6) 1993 |
17 | 2:24:35 | |||
| Kayoko Fukushi | Japan
|
2013
|
2:24:21 | |||||
| Jacqueline Gareau |  Canada
|
(5) 1983 | 3 | 2:30:58 | ||||
| Tiki Gelana | Ethiopia
|
2012
|
1 | 2:18:58 | ||||
| Bobbi Gibb | United States
|
3 | First woman to run the entire Boston Marathon | |||||
| Kara Goucher | United States
|
(10) 2009 | 2:25:53 | |||||
| Lidiya Grigoryeva |  Russia
|
4 | 2:25:10 | |||||
| Ari Ichihashi | Japan
|
1999
|
2:27:02 | |||||
| Helena Javornik | 3 | 2:27:33 | ||||||
| Priscah Jeptoo | Kenya
|
2012
|
2011
|
2:20:14 | ||||
| Olivera Jevtić |  Serbia
|
4 | 2:25:23 | |||||
| Deena Kastor | United States
|
2004
|
2:19:36 | |||||
| Mary Keitany | Kenya
|
2010/2011
|
2:18:37 | |||||
| Edna Kiplagat | Kenya
|
2010/2011
|
2:19:50 | |||||
| Lornah Kiplagat | Kenya
|
4 | 2:22:22 | |||||
| Renata Kokowska |  Poland
|
3 | 2:26:20 | |||||
| Brigid Kosgei | Kenya}
|
2:14:04 | Current marathon world record holder (2019) | |||||
| Salina Kosgei | Kenya
|
2009/2010
|
2:23:22 | |||||
| Ingrid Kristiansen | Norway
|
1987 (7) 1991 |
15 | 2:21:06 | One of the best female distance runners in the 1980s | |||
| Véronique Marot | United Kingdom
|
(16) 1992 | (22) 1987 | 4 | 2:25:56 | |||
| Lisa Martin | Australia
|
1988
|
5 | 2:23:51 | ||||
| Catherina McKiernan |  Ireland
|
3 | 2:22:23 | Multiple medalist at the World Cross Country Championships. | ||||
| Irina Mikitenko | Germany
|
2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010
|
2:19:19 | |||||
| Lorraine Moller |  New Zealand
|
(5) 1984 (33) 1988 1992(46) 1992 |
9 | 2:28:17 | ||||
| Rosa Mota | Portugal
|
1984 1988
|
1987
|
6 | 2:23:29 | Awarded 1988 Abebe Bikila Award | ||
| Catherine Ndereba | Kenya
|
2004 2008
|
2003 2005 2007
|
7 | 2:18:47 | |||
| Mizuki Noguchi | Japan
|
2004
|
2003
|
5 | 2:19:12 | Asia Record holder, Course Record holder of Berlin Marathon | ||
| Yoshimi Ozaki | Japan
|
2009
|
2 | 2:23:130 | ||||
| Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova | Russia
|
2012
|
2:23:29 | |||||
| Uta Pippig | East Germany Germany
|
(6) 1991 | 2:21:45 | First woman to win the Boston Marathon three consecutive times | ||||
| Jeļena Prokopčuka |  Latvia
|
2
|
3 | 2:24:41 2:25:05 | ||||
| Paula Radcliffe | United Kingdom
|
2005
|
8 | 2:15:25 | Holder of several long distance world records | |||
| Fatuma Roba | Ethiopia
|
1996 (9) 2000 |
(19) 1995 (13) 2001 |
5 | 2:23:21 | |||
| Allison Roe | New Zealand
|
2 | 2:25:29 | |||||
| Yoko Shibui | Japan
|
4 | 2:19:41 | |||||
| Liliya Shobukhova | Russia
|
2009/2010 2010/2011
|
2:18:20 | |||||
| Lidia Șimon | Romania
|
2000
|
2:22:54 | |||||
| Hiromi Suzuki | Japan
|
1997
|
2 | 2:26:27 | ||||
| Kathrine Switzer | United States
|
1 | 2:51:37 | First woman to run the Boston Marathon as a numbered entry | ||||
| Naoko Takahashi | Japan
|
2000
|
7 | 2:19:46 | ||||
| Reiko Tosa | Japan
|
2001 2007
|
3 | 2:22:46 | ||||
| Grete Waitz | Norway
|
1984
|
1983
|
13 | 2:24:54 | |||
| Gete Wami | Ethiopia
|
2006/2007 2007/2008
|
4 | 2:21:34 | ||||
| Sachiko Yamashita | Japan
|
(4) 1992 | 1991
|
2:29:57 | ||||
| Valentina Yegorova | Russia
|
1992 1996
|
1 | 2:23:33 |
References[]
- ^ "Gezahegne Abera". Global Athletics and Marketing Inc. Archived from the original on 2012-07-31. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
- ^ "Dionicio Cerón". IAAF. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
- ^ Cotswolds runner Steve Edwards sets world marathon record
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/trackandfield/news/story?id=6092994[bare URL]
- ^ "What makes Gebrselassie great?". Joe Battaglia. NBC Universal Sports. 2010-11-05. Retrieved 2010-11-14.
- ^ http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/letter=0/athcode=131140/index.html[bare URL]
- ^ "Guinness World Record: Great Greeks". Guinness World Record. Guinness World Record. 2010. Archived from the original on 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2010-11-14.
Categories:
- Marathon runners
- Marathon running
- Lists of runners