Marta Alemayo

Marta Alemayo
Personal information
NationalityEthiopian
Born (2008-04-08) 8 April 2008
Sport
CountryEthiopia
SportAthletics
Event
Long-distance running
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Ethiopia
World Cross Country Championships
Gold medal – first place2026 TallahasseeU20 race
Gold medal – first place2024 BelgradeU20 race
Gold medal – first place2024 BelgradeU20 team
World U20 Championships
Bronze medal – third place2024 Lima3000 m

Marta Alemayo (born 8 April 2008) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. In 2024 and 2026, she won the world under-20 cross country championships. In January 2025, she set a new U18 world best time for the 3000m indoors. In May 2025, she also set a new U18 world best time for the 3000m outdoors.[1]

Biography

Alemayo finished fourth in the Ethiopian world championship cross country trials u20 race in 2024.[2] On 30 March 2024, she won the U20 individual event, as well as gold in the team U20 race, at the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Serbia.[3][4] Winning at 15 years and 357 days old, Alemayo became the youngest women's under-20 world cross country champion of the 21st century, and the youngest since the Kenyan Rose Kosgei in 1997 who was 15 years and 213 days.[5][2]

On 20 April 2024, she ran 15:14.54 to win the 5000 metres at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi.[6] In August 2024, she won the bronze medal over 3000 metres at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.[7]

She ran 8:39.80 for the 3000m in Astana on the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Tour to set a new world under-18 best, on 25 January 2025 beating the previous mark of 8:46.01 set by Gotytom Gebreslase in 2012.[8] On 25 May 2025, she ran 8:32.20 for the 3000m in Rabat on the 2025 Diamond League to set a new world under-18 best, beating the previous mark of 8:36.45 set by Ma Ningning in 1993.[9]

On 10 January 2026, she retained her women’s under-20 title at the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, winning by 28 seconds ahead of compatriot Wosane Asefa.[10]

Alemayo won the women's 5 km in 14:15 at the Urban Trail de Lille in France on 4 April 2026, to move to third on the world all-time list behind only Beatrice Chebet and Agnes Ngetich.[11] In May, she ran a personal best 14:32.84 for the 5000 m at the 2026 Shanghai Diamond League and on 19 June, placed third in the 5000 m with 14:55.65 at the 2026 Doha Diamond League.[12][13] On 4 July, Alemayo placed fourth over two miles at the 2026 Prefontaine Classic.[14] On 23 August, she placed fourth over 5000 m in the Diamond League at the 2026 Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Silesia, Poland.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "M.Alemayo". World Athletics. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  2. 1 2 Garcia, Alvaro (30 March 2024). "Ethiopian Marta Alemayo surprises and is proclaimed world under-20 cross country champion at just 15 years old". Runners World. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  3. ↑ Wafulu, Abigael (30 March 2024). "Clean podium sweep as Ethiopians show Kenyans dust in the women's under-20 race in Belgrade". Pulse Sports. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  4. ↑ "U20 RACE WOMEN". World Athletics. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  5. ↑ Henderson, Jason (30 March 2024). "FitzGerald and Bailey finish top Europeans in Belgrade". Athletics Weekly.
  6. ↑ "Katzberg throws 84.38m to highlight hammer in Nairobi". World Athletics. 20 April 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  7. ↑ "Walaza storms to sprint double at World U20 Championships in Lima". World Athletics. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  8. ↑ "Thompson, Alemayo and Jackson victorious in Astana". World Athletics. 25 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  9. ↑ "Diamond League Rabat - 3000m Women Results" (PDF). swisstiming.com. 25 May 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
  10. ↑ "Dominant Alemayo retains U20 title, Uganda wins historic team gold in Tallahassee". World Athletics. 10 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  11. ↑ "Gressier threatens world 5km record, Ngetich runs 28:58 10km in Lille". World Athletics. 4 April 2026. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  12. ↑ "Zapletalová and Paulino break meeting records in Doha". World Athletics. 19 June 2026. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "Results - Shanghai Diamond League 2026". Watch Athletics. 16 May 2026. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  14. ↑ Johnson, Robert; Gault, Jonathan (4 July 2026). "Fireworks at Pre: Hiltz Stuns Kipyegon, High Schooler Taylor Rips 19.75 on the 4th of July". Lets Run. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  15. ↑ "Results - Silesia Diamond League 2026". Watch Athletics. 23 August 2026. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
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