Marta Alemayo

Marta Alemayo

Personal information
Nationality	Ethiopian
Born	(2008-04-08) 8 April 2008 (age 16)
Sport
Country	Ethiopia
Sport	Athletics
Event	Long-distance running
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Ethiopia World Cross Country Championships 2024 Belgrade U20 race 2024 Belgrade U20 team World U20 Championships 2024 Lima 3000 m

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

Career

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]

References

1. "M.Alemayo". World Athletics. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
2. Garcia, Alvaro. "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.