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

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 belowName 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

Name Country Olympics IAAF WC WMM 1sCareer Best Other Ref Gezahegne Abera 2000 2001 5 2:07:54 First to win gold at Olympics and World Championships Abel Antón 1997 1999 2 2:07:54 First to win two golds at World Championships Stefano Baldini 2004 (12) 2008 2001 2003 3 Two time European champion Dick Beardsley 3 The "Duel in the Sun" with Alberto Salazar at the 1982 Boston Marathon. Abebe Bikila 1960 1964 First black African gold medalist by winning in Rome barefoot, previous world record holder Gelindo Bordin 1988 1987 6 Two time European champion Amby Burfoot 1 2:14:28 Boston Marathon winner Dionicio Cerón 7 2:12:13 Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot 2006/2007 2007/2008 2008/2009 7 2:07:14 Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot 2 2:05:52 Waldemar Cierpinski 1976 1980 1983 Andrea Cionna 2:31:59 World record holder for the fastest marathon run by a totally blind man Derek Clayton 2:08:34 The first to run a world record under 02:10:00 Robert de Castella 1983 4 2:07:51 Former marathon world record holder; holds Australian national record Belayneh Densamo 7 2:06:50 Held the world record for the span of 10 years. Leonard Edelen 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 Cotswolds runner Steve Edwards sets world marathon record Stefaan Engels First person to complete 365 marathons in 365 days Martín Fiz (4) 1996 1995 1997 3 Haile Gebrselassie 2006/2007 2007/2008 2008/2009 9 2:03:59 Winner of many distance racing championships and holder of 27 world records Jaouad Gharib 2008 2003 2005 2:05:27 Rodolfo Gómez (19) 1976 (6) 1980 3 2:09:33 Ryan Hall (10) 2008 (DNF) 2012 2:04:58 Hal Higdon Freelance writer for Runner's World; a founder of Road Runners Club of America Ron Hill 1964 1972 2:09:28 Hwang Young-Cho 1992 3 2:08:09 Juma Ikangaa (6) 1984 (7) 1988 (34) 1992 Steve Jones 4 2:07:13 Former marathon world record holder Veikko Karvonen (5) 1952 Yuki Kawauchi (18) 2011, 2013 10 2:07:27 More than 100 sub 2:20 marathons Tsegaye Kebede 2008 2009 (5) 2008/2009 2009/2010 4 2:05:18 Meb Keflezighi 2004 1 2:08:37 Khalid Khannouchi 5 2:05:42 Former marathon world record holder Dennis Kipruto Kimetto 2:02:57 Former marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge 2016 2:01:39 Current marathon world record holder (2018) Stephen Kiprotich 2012 2013 2:07:20 Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich 2012 2:03:42 Former marathon world record holder Abel Kirui 2012 2009 2011 2:06:51 Hannes Kolehmainen 1920 Lee Bong-Ju 1996 2:07:20 Winner of the Boston Marathon in 2001 Martin Lel 2007/2008 2006/2007 5 2:05:15 Vanderlei de Lima 2004 Tom Longboat Carlos Lopes 1984 2:07:12 Former marathon world record holder Frederick Lorz 1 Disqualified from 1904 Olympics after crossing first, but legitimately won the Boston Marathon a year later Spyridon Louis 1896 First Olympic gold medalist for the marathon Patrick Makau 2011 1 2:03:38 Former marathon world record holder Deriba Merga 2 2:06:39 Greg Meyer 2 2:09:00 Won 1983 Boston Marathon Franjo Mihalić 1956 1 2:21:24 Alain Mimoun 1956 Steve Moneghetti (5) 1988 1992 1996 (10) 2000 1997 Koichi Morishita 1992 2 2:08:53 Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai 2009 1 Takeyuki Nakayama (4) 1988 (4) 1992 5 2:08:15 Gerard Nijboer 1980 2:09:01 Tsuyoshi Ogata (12) 2003 2005(5) 2007 1 2:08:37 Benjamín Paredes (8) 1996 (64) 2000 2 2:10:40 Jim Peters 2:19:22 Set the World Record four times, the first person to have run a sub-2:20:00 marathon. António Pinto 1988 1992 (14) 1996 (11) 2000 4 2:06:36 One of two holders of European record Orlando Pizzolato (16) 1988 (7) 1987 3 2:10:57 Hendrick Ramaala (12) 2000 (9) 2003 (27) 2007 2 2:09:28 Julio Rey (37) 2001 2003 (8) 2005 4 2:06:52 Bill Rodgers (40) 1976 22 2:09:27 Posted multiple major victories in the late 1970s. Held the American record multiple times. Alberto Salazar 4 2:08:13 Won the New York Marathon for 3 consecutive years Marílson Gomes dos Santos 2 2:08:43 First South American to win the New York Marathon Nobuyuki Sato 1999 2:08:48 Toshihiko Seko (14) 1984 (9) 1988 10 2:08:27 Morio Shigematsu 6 2:12:00 Held world record June 12, 1965 – December 3, 1967 Frank Shorter 1972 1976 2:10:30 Only American to win multiple medals in the Olympic marathon Silvio Guerra (14) 2000 2 2:09:49 Holds Ecuadorian Marathon Record since 1997 Germán Silva (6) 1996 2 2:08:56 Won the New York Marathon for two consecutive years Fauja Singh Holder of multiple records in the 90+ age group Shigeru So 6 2:09:05 Takeshi So (4) 1984 4 2:08:55 Sohn Kee-chung 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 1924 Toshinari Takaoka (4) 2005 1 2:06:16 Hiromi Taniguchi (8) 1992 1991 5 2:07:40 Josia Thugwane 1996 (20) 2000 4 2:07:28 Tesfaye Tola 2000 2:06:57 Erick Wainaina 1996 2000 (7) 2004 (18) 1995 7 2:08:43 One of the few athletes in Olympic history to finish in the top 10 at three separate marathons Samuel Wanjiru 2008 (4) 2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010 4 2:05:10 Holds current Olympic record Mamo Wolde 1968 1972 Dimitrion Yordanidis Oldest man to complete a marathon, at age 98 Emil Zátopek 1952 (6) 1956 Won Olympic gold in his first marathon in Olympic record time Sondre Nordstad Moen2:05:48First European runner to finish under 2:06:00 (Fukuoka, 2017).

Women

Name Country Olympics IAAF WC WMM 1st Career Best Other Ref Tomoe Abe 1993 3 2:26:09 Holder of IAAF 100 km Road Women's World Record Yukiko Akaba (5) 2011 2:24:08 Elfenesh Alemu (6) 2000 (4) 2004 3 2:24:29 Yuko Arimori 1992 1996 2 2:26:39 Junko Asari 1993 3 2:26:10 Joan Benoit 1984 3 2:21:21 First female gold medalist in women's marathon Carla Beurskens (22) 1984 (34) 1988 (17) 1987 14 2:28:27 Joyce Chepchumba 2000 2:23:22 Masako Chiba 2003 4 2:21:45 Zhou Chunxiu 2008 2:19:51 Constantina Diţă-Tomescu 2008 1 2:21:30 Adriana Fernández 1 2:24:06 First Mexican woman to win the New York City Marathon, in a time of 2:25:06 Franca Fiacconi (13) 1997 1 2:25:17 Katrin Dörre-Heinig 1988 (5) 1992 (4) 1996 1991 (6) 1993 17 2:24:35 Kayoko Fukushi 2013 2:24:21 Jacqueline Gareau (5) 1983 3 2:30:58 Tiki Gelana 2012 1 2:18:58 Bobbi Gibb 3 First woman to run the entire Boston Marathon Kara Goucher (10) 2009 2:25:53 Lidiya Grigoryeva 4 2:25:10 Ari Ichihashi 1999 2:27:02 Helena Javornik 3 2:27:33 Priscah Jeptoo 2012 2011 2:20:14 Olivera Jevtić 4 2:25:23 Deena Kastor 2004 2:19:36 Mary Keitany 2010/2011 2:18:37 Edna Kiplagat 2010/2011 2:19:50 Lornah Kiplagat 4 2:22:22 Renata Kokowska 3 2:26:20 Brigid Kosgei } 2:14:04 Current marathon world record holder (2019) Salina Kosgei 2009/2010 2:23:22 Ingrid Kristiansen 1987 (7) 1991 15 2:21:06 One of the best female distance runners in the 1980s Véronique Marot (16) 1992 (22) 1987 4 2:25:56 Lisa Martin 1988 5 2:23:51 Catherina McKiernan 3 2:22:23 Multiple medalist at the World Cross Country Championships. Irina Mikitenko 2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010 2:19:19 Lorraine Moller (5) 1984 (33) 1988 1992 (46) 1992 9 2:28:17 Rosa Mota 1984 1988 1987 6 2:23:29 Awarded 1988 Abebe Bikila Award Catherine Ndereba 2004 2008 2003 2005 2007 7 2:18:47 Mizuki Noguchi 2004 2003 5 2:19:12 Asia Record holder, Course Record holder of Berlin Marathon Yoshimi Ozaki 2009 2 2:23:130 Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova 2012 2:23:29 Uta Pippig (6) 1991 2:21:45 First woman to win the Boston Marathon three consecutive times Jeļena Prokopčuka 2 3 2:24:41 2:25:05 Paula Radcliffe 2005 8 2:15:25 Holder of several long-distance world records Fatuma Roba 1996 (9) 2000 (19) 1995 (13) 2001 5 2:23:21 Allison Roe 2 2:25:29 Yoko Shibui 4 2:19:41 Liliya Shobukhova 2009/2010 2010/2011 2:18:20 Lidia Șimon 2000 2:22:54 Hiromi Suzuki 1997 2 2:26:27 Kathrine Switzer 1 2:51:37 First woman to run the Boston Marathon as a numbered entry Naoko Takahashi 2000 7 2:19:46 Reiko Tosa 2001 2007 3 2:22:46 Grete Waitz 1984 1983 13 2:24:54 Gete Wami 2006/2007 2007/2008 4 2:21:34 Sachiko Yamashita (4) 1992 1991 2:29:57 Valentina Yegorova 1992 1996 1 2:23:33

References