Famous American Marathon Runners

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 1 
Alberto Salazar
(American Former Track Coach and Long-Distance Runner)
Alberto Salazar
4
Birthdate: August 7, 1958
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Havana, Cuba

Alberto Salazar is an American former long-distance runner who won the silver medal at the 1982 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Rome, Italy. After his retirement from the sport, Salazar served as the head coach for the Nike Oregon Project and received the 2013 IAAF Coaching Achievement Award in Monaco. He was later banned for doping and sexual offenses.

 2 
Frank Shorter
(American Former Long-distance Runner Olympic Gold Medalists)
Frank Shorter
3
Birthdate: October 31, 1947
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 3 
Bobbi Gibb
(American Marathon Runner)
Bobbi Gibb
4
Birthdate: November 2, 1942
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
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 4 
Kara Goucher
(American Long-Distance Runner)
Kara Goucher
4
Birthdate: July 9, 1978
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Queens, New York, United States
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 5 
Joan Benoit
(American Marathon Runner Who Was the First Women’s Olympic Games Marathon Champion)
Joan Benoit
1
Birthdate: May 16, 1957
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Cape Elizabeth, Maine, United States
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
 6 
Deena Kastor
(American Long-Distance Runner)
Deena Kastor
4
Birthdate: February 14, 1973
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 7 
Bill Rodgers
(American Runner, Olympian, and Former Record Holder in the Marathon)
Bill Rodgers
3
Birthdate: December 23, 1947
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 8 
Meb Keflezighi
(American Long-distance Runner and Olympic Silver Medalist in the Marathon)
Meb Keflezighi
4
Birthdate: May 5, 1975
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Asmara, Eritrea
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 9 
Khalid Khannouchi
(American Marathoner Who is the Former World Record Holder for the Marathon for 20 KM Distance)
Khalid Khannouchi
5
Birthdate: September 12, 1971
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Meknes, Morocco
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 10 
Ryan Hall
(American Long-Distance Runner Who Holds the U.S. Record in the Half Marathon)
Ryan Hall
4
Birthdate: October 14, 1982
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kirkland, Washington, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 11 
Kathrine Switzer
(American Marathon Runner and Author)
Kathrine Switzer
4
Birthdate: January 5, 1947
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Amberg, Germany

Kathrine Switzer was a 20-year-old Syracuse University student when she registered for the Boston Marathon in 1967. Though women were practically barred from competing, she competed as KV Switzer, avoiding mentioning her gender. Attacked at the event, she made history and became a champion for women’s rights.

 12 
Frederick Lorz
(American Long-Distance Runner)
Frederick Lorz
0
Birthdate: June 5, 1884
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: February 4, 1914
 13 
Dean Karnazes
(American Ultramarathon Runner, and Author of 'Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner')
Dean Karnazes
4
Birthdate: August 23, 1962
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Inglewood, California, United States

Dean Karnazes began running for fun while in kindergarten; taking diversionary routes while returning home from school. Slowly, he started taking it more seriously, running a marathon to the South Pole in 2002, embarking on the Endurance 50: 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days in 2006.  Currently a businessperson, he has also written a book on marathon.

 14 
Amby Burfoot
(Former American Marathoner and Journalist)
Amby Burfoot
3
Birthdate: August 19, 1946
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Groton, Connecticut, United States
 15 
Dick Beardsley
(American Long-Distance Runner)
Dick Beardsley
0
Birthdate: March 21, 1956
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
 16 
Hal Higdon
(American Long-Distance Runner and Writer)
Hal Higdon
0
Birthdate: June 17, 1931
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
 17 
Michele Graglia
(American Ultramarathon Runner and Model)
Michele Graglia
3
Birthdate: August 30, 1983
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Sanremo, Italy
 18 
Jason McElwain
(American Basketball Player and Marathon Runner)
Jason McElwain
1
Birthdate: October 20, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rochester, New York, United States
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 19 
Greg Meyer
(American Marathon Runner)
Greg Meyer
0
Birthdate: September 18, 1955
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
 20 
David Goggins
(Ultramarathon Runner)
David Goggins
2
Birthdate: February 17, 1975
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York, United States
 21 
Fred Lebow
(American Marathon Runner and Founder of the New York City Marathon)
Fred Lebow
3
Birthdate: June 3, 1932
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Arad, Romania
Died: October 9, 1994
 22 
Galen Rupp
(American Long-Distance Runner)
Galen Rupp
0
Birthdate: May 8, 1986
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Portland, Oregon, United States

While he had been a promising soccer player in school, Galen Rupp later discovered track and field and became one of the best long-distance runners of the U.S. He is a three-time Olympian and has two Olympic medals, a silver and a bronze, in his kitty.

 23 
Abdihakem Abdirahman
(American Marathon Runner Who is Five-Time Olympian Competing for the United States in the 10,000 Meters)
Abdihakem Abdirahman
1
Birthdate: January 1, 1977
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Mogadishu, Somalia
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 24 
Aliphine Tuliamuk
(American Long-Distance Runner)
Aliphine Tuliamuk
3
Birthdate: April 5, 1989
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Posoy, Pokot County, Kenya
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 25 
Matt Carpenter
(American Ultramarathoner)
Matt Carpenter
0
Birthdate: July 20, 1964
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Asheville, North Carolina, United States
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 26 
Johnny Kelley
(American Marathon Runner)
Johnny Kelley
3
Birthdate: September 6, 1907
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Medford, Massachusetts, United States
Died: October 6, 2004
 27 
Johnny Hayes
(American Long-Distance Runner)
Johnny Hayes
1
Birthdate: April 10, 1886
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: August 25, 1965
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 28 
Diane Nukuri
(Burundian-American Professional Distance Runner)
Diane Nukuri
1
Birthdate: December 1, 1984
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bujumbura, Burundi
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 29 
Buddy Edelen
(American Marathon Runner)
Buddy Edelen
1
Birthdate: September 22, 1937
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Harrodsburg, Kentucky, United States
Died: February 19, 1997
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 30 
Stevie Kremer
(American Ski Mountaineer and Long-Distance Runner)
Stevie Kremer
0
Birthdate: 1982 AD
Birthplace: Düsseldorf, Germany
 31 
Philemon Hanneck
(American Long-Distance Runner)
Philemon Hanneck
1
Birthdate: May 12, 1971
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Harare, Zimbabwe