Fatuma Roba : biography
December 18, 1973 –
Fatuma Roba (born December 18, 1973) is an Ethiopian long distance runner from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, most known for winning a gold medal in the women’s marathon race at the 1996 Summer Olympics. She finished fourth at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics.
Roba also won three straight Boston Marathons from 1997–1999, earning her the nickname "Our Lady of Boston". The three-time Boston champion narrowly missed a fourth straight title in 2000, coming in third in the closest finish in race history. She also won the Rome City Marathon in 1996, the Portugal Half Marathon in 2001 and the Nagano Olympic Commemorative Marathon in 2004. She was the 10,000 metres bronze medallist at the 1993 African Championships in Athletics.
Personal bests
- 10000m – 32:25 (2000)
- Half-marathon – 1:09:01 (2001)
- Marathon – 2:23:21 (1998)
Achievements
Representing | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | World Half Marathon Championships | Newcastle, United Kingdom | 6th | Half marathon | 1:10:28 |
1995 | World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 19th | Marathon | 2:39:27 |
1996 | Rome City Marathon | Rome, Italy | 1st | Marathon | 2:29:05 |
1997 | Boston Marathon | Boston, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:26:23 |
World Championships | Athens, Greece | — | Marathon | DNF | |
1998 | Boston Marathon | Boston, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:23:21 |
1999 | Boston Marathon | Boston, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:23:25 |
2000 | Boston Marathon | Boston, United States | 3rd | Marathon | 2:26:27 |
2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 9th | Marathon | 2:27:38 |
2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 13th | Marathon | 2:31:10 |
2004 | Nagano Marathon | Nagano, Japan | 1st | Marathon | 2:28:05 |