Female Marathon Runners

Paula Radcliffe is a retired distance runner, credited with winning the London Marathon and the New York Marathon three times each. Born into an athletic family, she emerged as a running talent by the time she was in her teens, winning the world junior cross-country title at the age of nineteen, eventually. She held the Women's World Marathon Record from 2003 to 2019.

Grete Waitz was a Norwegian marathon runner who became the first female runner to complete a marathon in less than two and a half hours in 1979. A former world record holder, Waitz won a record nine New York City Marathons between 1978 and 1988. Grete Waitz is also remembered for winning the silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games.  

Ethiopian distance runner Tirunesh Dibaba scripted history by becoming the youngest female World Champion, in 2003, when she was a little over 18 years. She is also the first female to win the Olympic 5,000m/10,000m double. The 5-time World Champion is also a 3-time Olympic gold medalist.

Zola Budd is a South African former athlete who used to compete in long-distance and middle-distance running. Budd represented Great Britain at the 1984 Olympic Games before representing South Africa at the 1992 Olympic Games. Zola Budd also took part in the 1985 and 1986 World Cross Country Championships, winning gold medals on both occasions.

One of the most successful female long-distance runners of her time, Norwegian athlete Ingrid Kristiansen was a World Champion and a European Champion. However, she missed out on an Olympic medal, as she finished 4th in the women’s marathon. She was also a talented cross-country skier in her teens.

Kathrine Switzer was a 20-year-old Syracuse University student when she registered for the Boston Marathon in 1967. Though women were practically barred from competing, she competed as KV Switzer, avoiding mentioning her gender. Attacked at the event, she made history and became a champion for women’s rights.

Genzebe Dibaba is an Ethiopian athlete who specializes in middle and long-distance running. She is best known for winning a silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. Prior to 2016, she had success at the 2015 World Championships where she won gold and a bronze medal. Genzebe Dibaba has also won five gold medals at the World Indoor Championships.

Wang Junxia is a Chinese retired long-distance runner who currently holds the world record for 3000-metre run. From 1993 to 2016, she was the world record holder for the 10,000-metre run. After winning the 1993 World Championships, Wang went on to win the gold medal at the 1994 Asian Games for 10,000 meters. She won an Olympic gold in 1996.

Ethiopian long-distance runner Fatuma Roba won her very first marathon in 1993. She then won the Olympic gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, scripting history as the first African female runner to win an Olympic marathon gold. She also won 3 consecutive Boston Marathons, from 1997 to 1999.

Ethiopian long-distance runner Ejegayehu Dibaba beat her cousin and two-time Olympic gold medallist Derartu Tulu to clinch the silver medal in the 10,000 m event at 2004 Summer Olympics. Her personal bests also include winning two bronze medals at 2005 World Championships in Athletics over 5000 m and 10000 m respectively, and winning her marathon debut at 2011 Chicago Marathon.

Romanian long-distance runner, Constantina Diță became women’s marathon gold-medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics at age 38 and with this became the oldest marathon champion in the history of Olympics. Specializing mainly in marathon and half-marathon Diță has a marathon best of 2:21:30 hours. She also became the first Romanian to win gold at the World Half Marathon Championships (2005).

It was after her breast cancer diagnosis that Jane Tomlinson became a radiographer. Given 6 months to live after her cancer relapsed, she later lived for 7 more years, until her death. A fearless woman, she raised funds through charity sports events such as marathons, while battling the disease.