The first woman to go under the 2h10' barrier in a marathon by winning on Sunday October 13, 2024 in Chicago (2h09'56''), the Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich further reduced the gap separating the best women's and men's times. Yet another proof of an underlying trend.

Letesenbet Gidey (26 years old) and Gudaf Tsegay (27 years old) are currently the spearheads of Ethiopian women’s athletics. They are specialists in long-distance running.

Letesenbet Gidey is the 10 000m world champion in 2022 in Eugene, the 10 000m world vice-champion in 2019 in Doha, and the bronze medalist in the same event at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She is the current holder of the 10 000m world record (29’01’’03 in 2021) and the half-marathon world record (1 h 2 min 52 s in 2021). She held the world record in the 5 000 m from 2020 to 2023.

Soufiane el-Bakkali, born January 7, 1996 in Fez, a specialist in the 3000 m steeplechase, won the gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and then in 2024 in Paris, becoming the first Moroccan to retain his gold medal in 2 editions of the Olympic Games and the 2nd Moroccan to win a 2nd gold medal at the Olympic Games after Hicham el Guerrouj. He was also crowned world champion in 2022 in Eugene and in 2023 in Budapest. He was also vice-world champion in 2017 in London, and bronze medalist in 2019 in Doha.

Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma, Olympic and world vice-champion, also made athletics history by establishing a new world record in the 3000m steeplechase in 7'52'11. The old record, which dates back to 2004, was held by the Qatari of Kenyan origin Saif Saaeed Shaheen.

Lamecha Girma had also set the world record for the 3,000m indoors since his legendary race this winter in Liévin.