# Constantina Diță

Constantina Diță (formerly Constantina Diță-Tomescu born on January 23, 1970, in Turburea, Gorj County), is a Romanian long-distance runner, who specializes mainly in the half marathon and marathon. She was the marathon gold medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, having previously won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. She also represented her country at the Olympics in 2000 and 2004.
Diță has a marathon best of 2:21:30 hours. She was the champion at the 2005 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships – the first Romanian to win that honour. She was the 2004 Chicago Marathon winner.

## Career

As a child, Diță became interested in athletics and particularly admired Maricica Puică after seeing her win the 3000 metres gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Diță had her first successes at the 1999 European Cross Country Championships at which she won silver medals in the individual race and the team race with Romania. She began competing in the marathon and was tenth at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. She ran in the Olympic marathon at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens (finishing twentieth) and went on to win the Chicago Marathon later that year, running a personal best of 2:21:30.
After winning the marathon bronze at the 2005 World Championships she became the World Half Marathon Champion. She won a silver medal at the 2006 IAAF World Road Running Championships and reached the podium of the 2007 London Marathon, taking third place.
Diță won the women's marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 44 seconds. At 38 years of age, she became the oldest Olympic marathon champion in history. Previously the oldest man to win an Olympic marathon was aged 37 and the oldest woman was aged 30. She lives and trains at altitude in Boulder, Colorado, and was married to her coach, Valeriu Tomescu, until they divorced in 2008.
Diță ran marathon at the 2012 Summer Olympics and finished in 86th place.

## Personal bests

* 5000 metres – 15:28.91 min (2000)
* 10,000 metres – 31:49.47 min (2006)
* Half marathon – 1:08:07 hrs (2006)
* Marathon – 2:21:30 hrs (2005)

## International competitions

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
| Representing Romania ||||||
| 1998 | World Cross Country Championships | Marrakesh, Morocco | 16th | Short race | |
| 1998 | European Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 17th | Marathon | 2:34:35 |
| 1998 | World Half Marathon Championships | Uster, Switzerland | 29th | Half marathon | |
| 1999 | World Cross Country Championships | Belfast, United Kingdom | 14th | Long race | |
| 1999 | World Cross Country Championships | Belfast, United Kingdom | 11th | Short race |
| 1999 | World Championships | Seville, Spain | 19th | Marathon | |
| 1999 | World Half Marathon Championships | Palermo, Italy | 12th | Half marathon | |
| 1999 | European Cross Country Championships | Velenje, Slovenia | 2nd | Senior race | |
| 1999 | European Cross Country Championships | Velenje, Slovenia | 2nd | Team race | |
| 2000 | World Cross Country Championships | Vilamoura, Portugal | 35th | Long race | |
| 2000 | World Cross Country Championships | Vilamoura, Portugal | 22nd | Short race |
| 2001 | World Cross Country Championships | Ostend, Belgium | 33rd | Long race | |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 10th | Marathon | 2:30:38 |
| 2001 | World Half Marathon Championships | Bristol, United Kingdom | 32nd | Half marathon | |
| 2002 | European Championships | Munich, Germany | 7th | 10,000 m | |
| 2002 | World Half Marathon Championships | Brussels, Belgium | 22nd | Half marathon | |
| 2003 | World Championships | Paris, France | DNF | Marathon | |
| 2003 | World Half Marathon Championships | Vilamoura, Portugal | 5th | Half marathon | |
| 2004 | Summer Olympics | Athens, Greece | 20th | Marathon | 2:37:31 |
| 2004 | World Half Marathon Championships | New Delhi, India | 3rd | Half marathon | |
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 3rd | Marathon | |
| 2005 | World Half Marathon Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 1st | Half marathon | |
| 2006 | European Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 11th | 10,000 m | 31:49.47 PB |
| 2006 | World Road Running Championships | Debrecen, Hungary | 2nd | 20 km | |
| 2008 | Summer Olympics | Beijing, China | 1st | Marathon | 2:26:44 SB |
| 2012 | Summer Olympics | London, United Kingdom | 86th | Marathon | 2:41:34 SB |

## Marathons

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
| 2001 | Tokyo Marathon | Tokyo, Japan | 4th | Marathon | 2:26:39 |
| 2004 | Chicago Marathon | Chicago, United States | 1st | Marathon | 2:21:30 PB |
| 2007 | London Marathon | London, United Kingdom | 3rd | Marathon | 2:23.55 |

## Awards

* Romanian sportsperson of the year: 2008
* AIMS Best Marathon Runner Award: 2008
* National Sports Award: 2009