# 2003 World Championships in Athletics – Women's marathon

The women's marathon at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, France, was held on Sunday, 31 August 2003, starting at 14:20h local time.

## Medalists

| Gold | Catherine Ndereba Kenya (KEN) |
| Silver | Mizuki Noguchi Japan (JPN) |
| Bronze | Masako Chiba Japan (JPN) |

## Abbreviations

* All times shown are in hours:minutes:seconds
| DNS | did not start |
| NM | no mark |
| WR | world record |
| AR | area record |
| NR | national record |
| PB | personal best |
| SB | season best |

## Intermediates

| Rank | Number | Athlete | Time |
| 5 KILOMETRES ||||
| 1 | 888 | Constantina Tomescu (ROM) | 16:45 |
| 2 | 630 | Takami Ominami (JPN) | 17:17 |
| 3 | 881 | Nuţa Olaru (ROM) | 17:17 |
| 4 | 797 | Stine Larsen (NOR) | 17:17 |
| 5 | 328 | Workenesh Tola (ETH) | 17:17 |
| 10 KILOMETRES ||||
| 1 | 888 | Constantina Tomescu (ROM) | 34:02 |
| 2 | 324 | Asha Gigi (ETH) | 34:14 |
| 3 | 630 | Takami Ominami (JPN) | 34:14 |
| 4 | 708 | Kenza Wahbi (MAR) | 34:14 |
| 5 | 885 | Luminiţa Talpoş (ROM) | 34:15 |
| 15 KILOMETRES ||||
| 1 | 888 | Svetlana Zakharova (RUS) | 51:19 |
| 2 | 885 | Luminiţa Talpoş (ROM) | 51:19 |
| 3 | 858 | Ham Bong-Sil (PRK) | 51:20 |
| 4 | 881 | Nuţa Olaru (ROM) | 51:20 |
| 5 | 797 | Stine Larsen (NOR) | 51:20 |
| 20 KILOMETRES ||||
| 1 | 888 | Svetlana Zakharova (RUS) | 1:08:59 |
| 2 | 797 | Stine Larsen (NOR) | 1:09:00 |
| 3 | 975 | Olivera Jevtić (SCG) | 1:09:00 |
| 4 | 629 | Mizuki Noguchi (JPN) | 1:09:00 |
| 5 | 881 | Nuţa Olaru (ROM) | 1:09:00 |
| HALF MARATHON ||||
| 1 | 885 | Luminiţa Talpoş (ROM) | 1:12:46 |
| 2 | 630 | Takami Ominami (JPN) | 1:12:46 |
| 3 | 888 | Svetlana Zakharova (RUS) | 1:12:46 |
| 4 | 881 | Nuţa Olaru (ROM) | 1:12:46 |
| 5 | 182 | Zhang Shujing (CHN) | 1:12:46 |
| 25 KILOMETRES ||||
| 1 | 885 | Luminiţa Talpoş (ROM) | 1:26:34 |
| 2 | 629 | Mizuki Noguchi (JPN) | 1:26:34 |
| 3 | 888 | Svetlana Zakharova (RUS) | 1:26:34 |
| 4 | 858 | Ham Bong-Sil (PRK) | 1:26:34 |
| 5 | 881 | Nuţa Olaru (ROM) | 1:26:34 |
| 30 KILOMETRES ||||
| 1 | 629 | Mizuki Noguchi (JPN) | 1:44:01 |
| 2 | 317 | Elfenesh Alemu (ETH) | 1:44:01 |
| 3 | 858 | Ham Bong-Sil (PRK) | 1:44:01 |
| 4 | 888 | Svetlana Zakharova (RUS) | 1:44:01 |
| 5 | 881 | Catherine Ndereba (KEN) | 1:44:01 |
| 35 KILOMETRES ||||
| 1 | 881 | Catherine Ndereba (KEN) | 2:00:47 |
| 2 | 629 | Mizuki Noguchi (JPN) | 2:00:51 |
| 3 | 632 | Naoko Sakamoto (JPN) | 2:00:57 |
| 4 | 858 | Masako Chiba (JPN) | 2:01:01 |
| 5 | 858 | Ham Bong-Sil (PRK) | 2:01:03 |
| 40 KILOMETRES ||||
| 1 | 881 | Catherine Ndereba (KEN) | 2:16:45 |
| 2 | 629 | Mizuki Noguchi (JPN) | 2:17:05 |
| 3 | 632 | Naoko Sakamoto (JPN) | 2:17:48 |
| 4 | 858 | Masako Chiba (JPN) | 2:17:49 |
| 5 | 858 | Ham Bong-Sil (PRK) | 2:17:57 |

## Final ranking

| Rank | Athlete | Time | Note |
| | Catherine Ndereba (KEN) | 2:23:55 | |
| | Mizuki Noguchi (JPN) | 2:24:14 | |
| | Masako Chiba (JPN) | 2:25:09 | |
| 4 | Naoko Sakamoto (JPN) | 2:25:25 | |
| 5 | Ham Bong-sil (PRK) | 2:25:31 | NR |
| 6 | Elfenesh Alemu (ETH) | 2:26:29 | |
| 7 | Joyce Chepchumba (KEN) | 2:26:33 | SB |
| 8 | Olivera Jevtić (SCG) | 2:26:49 | |
| 9 | Svetlana Zakharova (RUS) | 2:26:53 | |
| 10 | Shitaye Gemechu (ETH) | 2:27:26 | SB |
| 11 | Nuţa Olaru (ROU) | 2:28:24 | SB |
| 12 | Zhang Shujing (CHN) | 2:29:24 | |
| 13 | Beatriz Ros (ESP) | 2:29:25 | PB |
| 14 | Li Helan (CHN) | 2:29:46 | SB |
| 15 | María Abel (ESP) | 2:30:15 | SB |
| 16 | Lena Gavelin (SWE) | 2:30:39 | NR |
| 17 | Stine Larsen (NOR) | 2:30:44 | |
| 18 | Luminiţa Talpoş (ROU) | 2:30:49 | |
| 19 | Asha Gigi (ETH) | 2:31:01 | PB |
| 20 | Ulrike Maisch (GER) | 2:31:21 | PB |
| 21 | Rakiya Maraoui (FRA) | 2:31:23 | SB |
| 22 | Viktoriya Klimina (RUS) | 2:31:45 | SB |
| 23 | Annemette Jensen (DEN) | 2:31:55 | PB |
| 24 | Ri Kum-Sil (PRK) | 2:32:08 | PB |
| 25 | Larisa Zyuzko (RUS) | 2:32:26 | |
| 26 | Marie Söderström (SWE) | 2:32:27 | SB |
| 27 | Takami Ominami (JPN) | 2:32:31 | |
| 28 | Sandy Jacobson (CAN) | 2:33:51 | PB |
| 29 | Kim Jong-Sun (PRK) | 2:34:12 | |
| 30 | Meseret Kotu (ETH) | 2:34:19 | SB |
| 31 | María Teresa Pulido (ESP) | 2:34:37 | |
| 32 | Simona Staicu (HUN) | 2:34:51 | |
| 33 | Jill Boaz (USA) | 2:34:54 | PB |
| 34 | Fatima Yvelain (FRA) | 2:36:20 | |
| 35 | Kenza Wahbi (MAR) | 2:36:29 | PB |
| 36 | Jin Li (CHN) | 2:37:10 | SB |
| 37 | Linda Somers Smith (USA) | 2:37:14 | SB |
| 38 | Svetlana Demidenko (RUS) | 2:37:19 | SB |
| 39 | Jo Lodge (GBR) | 2:37:56 | SB |
| 40 | Irina Timofeyeva (RUS) | 2:38:06 | SB |
| 41 | Lucilla Andreucci (ITA) | 2:38:22 | |
| 42 | Gloria Marconi (ITA) | 2:38:26 | |
| 43 | Giovanna Volpato (ITA) | 2:38:38 | |
| 44 | Nadia Ejjafini (BHR) | 2:38:39 | PB |
| 45 | Aurica Buia (ROU) | 2:39:04 |
| 46 | Workenesh Tola (ETH) | 2:39:25 | |
| 47 | Jane Salumäe (EST) | 2:39:36 | SB |
| 48 | Zahia Dahmani (FRA) | 2:40:34 | |
| 49 | Banuelia Katesigwa (TAN) | 2:40:45 | |
| 50 | Fátima Silva (POR) | 2:40:59 | |
| 51 | Mihaela Botezan (ROU) | 2:41:13 | |
| 52 | Hanan Fahroun (MAR) | 2:42:56 | PB |
| 53 | Choi Kyung-Hee (KOR) | 2:43:38 | |
| 54 | Hafida Gadi (FRA) | 2:45:53 | |
| 55 | Tamara Lave (USA) | 2:46:22 | PB |
| 56 | Jong Yong-Ok (PRK) | 2:50:21 | |
| 57 | Epiphanie Nyirabarame (RWA) | 2:54:16 | PB |
| 58 | Simona Viola (ITA) | 2:54:27 | |
| 59 | Kelly Keane (USA) | 2:55:26 | SB |
| 60 | Sophie Gordon (PYF) | 3:00:53 | |
| 61 | Priscilla Mamba (SWZ) | 3:18:35 | SB |
| 62 | Sonia Lopes (CPV) | 3:21:59 | |
| DID NOT FINISH (DNF) ||||
| — | Fatima Hajjami (FRA) | DNF | |
| — | Sylvia Mosqueda (USA) | DNF | |
| — | Beatrice Omwanza (KEN) | DNF | |
| — | Rie Matsuoka (JPN) | DNF | |
| — | Constantina Diță (ROU) | DNF | |
| — | Rosaria Console (ITA) | DNF | |
| DID NOT START (DNS) ||||
| — | Anna Pichrtová (CZE) | DNS | |