{{Short description|Ethiopian track and field athlete (born 2008)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Marta Alemayo | full_name = | image = | caption = | nationality = Ethiopian | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2008|4|8|df=yes}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | height = | weight = | country = Ethiopia | sport = Athletics | event = Long-distance running | pb = | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Women's athletics}} {{Medal|Country|{{ETH}}}} {{Medal|Competition|World Cross Country Championships}} {{Medal|Gold|2026 Tallahassee|U20 race}} {{Medal|Gold|2024 Belgrade|U20 race}} {{Medal|Gold|2024 Belgrade|U20 team}} {{Medal|Competition|World U20 Championships}} {{Medal|Bronze|2024 Lima|3000 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.<ref> {{cite web|title=M.Alemayo|url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ethiopia/marta-alemayo-15131346|website=World Athletics|accessdate=30 March 2024}}</ref>
==Biography== Alemayo finished fourth in the Ethiopian world championship cross country trials u20 race in 2024.<ref name="rose">{{cite web|url=https://www.runnersworld.com/es/noticias-running/a60348967/etiope-marta-alemayo-campeona-mundo-sub-20-cross-tan-solo-15-anos/|website=Runners World|accessdate=31 March 2024|title= Ethiopian Marta Alemayo surprises and is proclaimed world under-20 cross country champion at just 15 years old |first=Alvaro|last=Garcia|date=30 March 2024 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pulsesports.co.ke/athletics/story/clean-podium-sweep-as-ethiopians-show-kenyans-dust-in-the-womens-under-20-race-in-belgrade-2024033009563052740|website=Pulse Sports|accessdate=30 March 2024| date=30 March 2024|title= Clean podium sweep as Ethiopians show Kenyans dust in the women's under-20 race in Belgrade|first=Abigael|last=Wafulu}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-cross-country-championships/belgrade24/results/women/u20-race/final/startlist|website=World Athletics|accessdate=30 March 2024|date=30 March 2024|title= U20 RACE WOMEN}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://athleticsweekly.com/event-reports/fitzgerald-and-bailey-finish-top-europeans-in-belgrade-1039976996/|website=Athletics Weekly|title= FitzGerald and Bailey finish top Europeans in Belgrade|first=Jason |last=Henderson |date= March 30, 2024 }}</ref><ref name="rose"/>
On 20 April 2024, she ran 15:14.54 to win the 5000 metres at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi.<ref>{{cite web|website=World Athletics|accessdate=21 April 2024|title= Katzberg throws 84.38m to highlight hammer in Nairobi|url= https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-continental-tour/news/kip-keino-classic-nairobi-2024-katzberg-moraa|date=20 April 2024}}</ref> In August 2024, she won the bronze medal over 3000 metres at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-u20-championships/lima24/news/report/day-four-afternoon-lima-24-track-walaza-hodge-moraa-hill|website=World Athletics|accessdate=31 August 2024|title= Walaza storms to sprint double at World U20 Championships in Lima|date=31 August 2024}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/news/report/astana-indoor-meet-2025-thompson-alemayo-jackson|website=World Athletics|accessdate=25 January 2025|date=25 January 2025|title= Thompson, Alemayo and Jackson victorious in Astana}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Diamond League Rabat - 3000m Women Results|url=https://ps-cache.web.swisstiming.com/node/binaryData/ATH_PROD/RABAT_2025/PDF_ATHW3000M---DIAMOND---FNL-000100--_C73C1.PDF?h=DdREQs0u4U/JUv3m1db9UmLk8LpFn48eUw5MR22zziA=|work=swisstiming.com|date=25 May 2025|access-date=25 May 2025}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-cross-country-championships/tallahassee26/news/report/world-cross-tallahassee-26-u20-women |website=World Athletics|accessdate=10 January 2026|title= Dominant Alemayo retains U20 title, Uganda wins historic team gold in Tallahassee|date=10 January 2026 }}</ref>
Alemayo won the women's 5km 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.<ref>{{Cite web | url= https://worldathletics.org/news/report/urban-trail-de-lille-gressier-ngetich-alemayo |title= Gressier threatens world 5km record, Ngetich runs 28:58 10km in Lille|date=4 April 2026 |access-date=5 April 2026| website=World Athletics}}</ref> In May, she ran a personal best 14:32.84 for the 5000 m at the 2026 Shanghai Diamond League.<ref>{{Cite web | url= https://www.watchathletics.com/page/7693/results-shanghai-keqiao-diamond-league-2026#google_vignette |title= Results - Shanghai Diamond League 2026|date=16 May 2026 |access-date=19 May 2026| website=Watch Athletics}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Alemayo, Marta}} Category:2008 births Category:Living people Category:Ethiopian women athletes Category:21st-century Ethiopian sportswomen