Dajama Robleh, who participated in these Games, had won a silver medal in the 1982 African Championships in Athletics for the men's full marathon with a time of 2:31:06. Ahmed Salah had participated in both the 1983 World Championships in Athletics and the 1984 African Championships in Athletics prior to these Olympics. He did not finish the marathon in 1983, and he won a silver medal in the 1984 10,000 metres run with a time of 28:17.4.