# Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's marathon

The women's marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta was held on Sunday July 28, 1996, beginning at 07:05h local time. Sixty-five athletes finished the race while twenty-one dropped out mid-competition. A total of 86 competitors from 51 countries took part. There were also two competitors, Valentina Enachi of Moldova and Virginie Gloum of the Central African Republic, whose results were deemed unofficial due to procedural errors by their federations in submitting their entries in the event.

## Medalists

| Gold | Fatuma Roba Ethiopia |
| Silver | Valentina Yegorova Russia |
| Bronze | Yuko Arimori Japan |

## Abbreviations

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

## Records

Standing records prior to the 1996 Summer Olympics :
| World Record | Ingrid Kristiansen (NOR) | 2:21:06 | April 21, 1985 | London, United Kingdom |
| Olympic Record | Joan Benoit (USA) | 2:24:52 | August 5, 1984 | Los Angeles, United States |
| Season Best | Katrin Dörre (GER) | 2:26:04 | January 28, 1996 | Osaka, Japan |

## Final ranking

| Place | Athlete | Time |
| | Fatuma Roba (ETH) | 2:26:05 |
| | Valentina Yegorova (RUS) | 2:28:05 |
| | Yuko Arimori (JPN) | 2:28:39 |
| 4 | Katrin Dörre-Heinig (GER) | 2:28:45 |
| 5 | Rocío Ríos (ESP) | 2:30:50 |
| 6 | Lidia Șimon (ROU) | 2:31:04 |
| 7 | Manuela Machado (POR) | 2:31:11 |
| 8 | Sonja Krolik (GER) | 2:31:16 |
| 9 | Ren Xiujuan (CHN) | 2:31:21 |
| 10 | Anne Marie Lauck (USA) | 2:31:30 |
| 11 | Małgorzata Sobańska (POL) | 2:31:52 |
| 12 | Izumi Maki (JPN) | 2:32:35 |
| 13 | Ornella Ferrara (ITA) | 2:33:09 |
| 14 | Mónica Pont (ESP) | 2:33:27 |
| 15 | Angelina Kanana (KEN) | 2:34:19 |
| 16 | Liz McColgan (GBR) | 2:34:30 |
| 17 | Junko Asari (JPN) | 2:34:31 |
| 18 | Franziska Rochat-Moser (SUI) | 2:34:48 |
| 19 | Griselda González (ARG) | 2:35:12 |
| 20 | Jong Song-ok (PRK) | 2:35:31 |
| 21 | Irina Bogachova (KGZ) | 2:35:44 |
| 22 | Iglandini González (COL) | 2:35:45 |
| 23 | Serap Aktaş (TUR) | 2:36:14 |
| 24 | Alena Mazouka (BLR) | 2:36:22 |
| 25 | Marleen Renders (BEL) | 2:36:27 |
| 26 | Kim Chang-ok (PRK) | 2:36:31 |
| 27 | Albertina Dias (POR) | 2:36:39 |
| 28 | Kerryn McCann (AUS) | 2:36:41 |
| 29 | Aniela Nikiel (POL) | 2:36:44 |
| 30 | Oh Mi-ja (KOR) | 2:36:54 |
| 31 | Linda Somers (USA) | 2:36:58 |
| 32 | Danuta Bartoszek (CAN) | 2:37:06 |
| 33 | María del Carmen Díaz (MEX) | 2:37:14 |
| 34 | Nelly Glauser (SUI) | 2:37:19 |
| 35 | Ramilya Burangulova (RUS) | 2:38:04 |
| 36 | Judit Nagy (HUN) | 2:38:43 |
| 37 | Érika Olivera (CHI) | 2:39:06 |
| 38 | Yvonne Danson (SIN) | 2:39:18 |
| 39 | Márcia Narloch (BRA) | 2:39:33 |
| 40 | Stefanija Statkuvienė (LTU) | 2:39:51 |
| 41 | Anne van Schuppen (NED) | 2:40:46 |
| 42 | Maria Polyzou (GRE) | 2:41:33 |
| 43 | Guadaloupe Loma (MEX) | 2:41:56 |
| 44 | Anuța Cătună (ROU) | 2:42:01 |
| 45 | Karen MacLeod (GBR) | 2:42:08 |
| 46 | Lorraine Moller (NZL) | 2:42:21 |
| 47 | Albertina Machado (POR) | 2:43:44 |
| 48 | Anita Håkenstad (NOR) | 2:43:58 |
| 49 | Ana Isabel Alonso (ESP) | 2:44:12 |
| 50 | Natalya Galushko (BLR) | 2:44:21 |
| 51 | Adriana Fernández (MEX) | 2:44:23 |
| 52 | May Allison (CAN) | 2:44:38 |
| 53 | Helena Javornik (SLO) | 2:46:58 |
| 54 | Marilú Salazar (PER) | 2:48:58 |
| 55 | Suzana Ćirić (YUG) | 2:49:30 |
| 56 | Nadia Prasad (FRA) | 2:50:05 |
| 57 | Suzanne Malaxos (AUS) | 2:50:46 |
| 58 | Suzanne Rigg (GBR) | 2:52:09 |
| 59 | Elizabeth Mongudhi (NAM) | 2:56:19 |
| 60 | Solange de Souza (BRA) | 2:56:23 |
| 61 | Gulsara Dadabayeva (TJK) | 3:09:08 |
| 62 | Bimala Ranamagar (NEP) | 3:16:19 |
| 63 | Erkhemsaikhany Davaajargal (MGL) | 3:19:06 |
| 64 | Sirivanh Khetavong (LAO) | 3:25:16 |
| 65 | Marie Benito (GUM) | 3:27:28 |
| DID NOT FINISH (DNF) ||||
| — | Madina Biktagirova (BLR) | DNF |
| — | Joyce Chepchumba (KEN) | DNF |
| — | Salina Chirchir (KEN) | DNF |
| — | Maria Curatolo (ITA) | DNF |
| — | Carmem de Oliveira (BRA) | DNF |
| — | Carol Galea (MLT) | DNF |
| — | Kamila Gradus (POL) | DNF |
| — | Gang Sun-deok (KOR) | DNF |
| — | Gitte Karlshøj (DEN) | DNF |
| — | Lyubov Klochko (UKR) | DNF |
| — | Lee Mi-gyeong (KOR) | DNF |
| — | Kirsi Rauta (FIN) | DNF |
| — | Elana Meyer (RSA) | DNF |
| — | Lisa Ondieki (AUS) | DNF |
| — | Uta Pippig (GER) | DNF |
| — | Cristina Pomacu (ROU) | DNF |
| — | Jane Salumäe (EST) | DNF |
| — | Jenny Spangler (USA) | DNF |
| — | Martha Tenorio (ECU) | DNF |
| — | Maura Viceconte (ITA) | DNF |
| — | Alla Zhilyaeva (RUS) | DNF |