1994 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
Team Results -- Men 's
Table:
Rank
Country
Team
Time

Kenya
Godfrey Kiprotich
Shem Kororia
Andrew Masai
3:03:36

Mexico
Germán Silva
Martín Pitayo
Benjamin Paredes
3:03:47

Morocco
Khalid Skah
Salah Hissou
Abdel Kader El-Mouaziz
3:05:58

4
Zimbabwe
Tendai Chimusasa
Samson Dingani
Brighton Chipere
3:06:59

5
Ethiopia
Bedilu Kibret
Addis Abebe
Kidane Gebrmichael
3:07:04

6
Brazil
Ronaldo da Costa
Luíz dos Santos
Tomix da Costa
3:07:47

7
Russia
Yuriy Chizhov
Aleksey Korobov
Andrey Tikhonov
3:09:41

8
Portugal
Fernando Couto
João Lopes
José Dias
3:09:42

9
Germany
Carsten Eich
Michael Scheytt
Konrad Dobler
3:09:44

10
France
Paul Arpin
Pascal Clouvel
Christopher Campagne
3:10:00

11
South Africa
Meshack Mogotsi
Adam Motlagale
Simon Morolong
3:10:15

12
Great Britain
Martin McLoughlin
Carl Udall
Andrew Pearson
3:10:51

13
Algeria
Kamal Kohil
Mahieddine Belhadj
Tayeb Kalloud
3:11:14

14
Djibouti
Talal Omar Abdillahi
Omar Daher Ghadid
Mohamed Abdi Said
3:11:23

15
Zambia
Fackson Nkandu
Francis Mukuka
Peter Sichula
3:11:32

16
Japan
Keita Fujino
Kenjiro Jitsui
Kiyoji Hayashi
3:12:12

17
United States
Daniel Held
Joseph LeMay
Dan Nelson
3:12:23

18
Kyrgyzstan
Arkadiy Tolstyn/Nikitin
Vladimir Kiselyov
Nazirdin Akylbekov
3:14:55

19
Israel
Ayele Setegne
Asaf Bimro
Amit Neʼeman
3:16:25

20
Switzerland
Arnold Mächler
Markus Gerber
Markus Graf
3:16:41

Drawing on the tabular data along with the background passages listed at the end.

Answer the following question: What is the finishing time of the country whose team member was born on 4 December 1959 ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.

Kenya ( /ˈkɛnjə/ ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Kenya ( Swahili : Jamhuri ya Kenya ) , is a country in Africa with 47 semiautonomous counties governed by elected governors . At 580,367 square kilometres ( 224,081 sq mi ) , Kenya is the world 's 48th largest country by total area . With a population of more than 47.6 million people , Kenya is the 29th most populous country . Kenya 's capital and largest city is Nairobi , while its oldest city and first capital is the coastal city of Mombasa . Kisumu City is the third largest city and also an inland port on Lake Victoria . Other important urban centres include Nakuru and Eldoret . Kenya is bordered by South Sudan to the northwest , Ethiopia to the north , Somalia to the east , Uganda to the west , Tanzania to the south , and the Indian Ocean to the southeast . According to archaeological dating of associated artifacts and skeletal material , the Cushites first settled in the lowlands of Kenya between 3,200 and 1,300 BC , a phase referred to as the Lowland Savanna Pastoral Neolithic . Nilotic-speaking pastoralists ( ancestral to Kenya 's Nilotic speakers ) started migrating from present-day southern Sudan into Kenya around 500 BC . European colonisation of Kenya began in the 19th century during the European exploration of the interior . Modern-day Kenya emerged from a protectorate established by the British Empire in 1895 and the subsequent Kenya Colony , which began in 1920 . Numerous disputes between the UK and the colony led to the Mau Mau revolution , which began in 1952 , and the subsequent declaration of independence in 1963 .
Godfrey Chirchir Kiprotich ( born 23 November 1964 ) is a Kenyan former long-distance runner who specialised in road running . He was a team gold medallist at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 1994 , placing fourth to lead a team including Shem Kororia and Andrew Masai to victory .
Shem Kororia ( born 25 September 1972 ) is a former Kenyan long-distance runner who specialized in the 5000 metres and half marathon . He represented his native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta , United States . Kororia was the third man ever to run the half marathon within an hour , when he won the world half marathon title on October 1997 in Košice , Slovakia , clocking 59:56 minutes . He won 5000 metres gold twice at the Military World Games : in 1995 and 1999 . He also won the Parelloop 10K in race in the Netherlands in 1997 and had back-to-back wins at the BOclassic in 1994-95 . He also competed in cross country running events . He was twice a team gold medallist with Kenya at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships ( 1994 and 1997 ) . On the major cross country meet circuit he had two wins at the Cross Internacional de la Constitución ( 1994 and 1995 ) and was the 1996 winner of both the Campaccio and the Cross Internacional de Venta de Baños races . He is from Kaptama in Mount Elgon District , the same village as Edith Masai .
Andrew Masai ( born 13 December 1960 ) is a Kenyan former long-distance runner who competed in road running and cross country running events . He was one of Kenya 's best cross country runners in the late 1980s , taking six team gold medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships . His best individual finish at that competition was sixth in 1987 . He was key to the rise of Kenya in cross country , helping the nation to its first team title and scoring points which helped establish an unbeaten streak in the team race which lasted from 1986 to 2003 . He was also a silver medallist at the African Cross Country Championships in 1985 . He was a one-time national champion , taking the long-course Kenyan title in 1991 . A member of the Sabaot tribe , Masai grew up in Chepkoya - a village on Mount Elgon in Kenya 's Bungoma County . Over his career spanning twenty years , from 1984 to 2004 , he ran mainly cross country until 1991 before switching to road running . He contested mainly races in France and Italy ( under Gianni DeMadonna 's management ) before turning to the United States professional circuit in 2000 . He was the national runner-up in cross country three times ( 1985 , 1987 , 1989 ) . Among his road victories were the Giro al Sas ( twice ) , Roma-Ostia Half Marathon ( twice ) , Lyon Half Marathon ( twice ) , the Paris Half Marathon and Indianapolis Half Marathon . He had one win over the marathon distance at the Südtirol Marathon in 1995 .
Mexico ( Spanish : México [ ˈmexiko ] ( listen ) ; Nahuatl languages : Mēxihco ) , officially the United Mexican States ( UMS ; Spanish : Estados Unidos Mexicanos , EUM [ esˈtaðos uˈniðoz mexiˈkanos ] ( listen ) , lit . Mexican United States ) , is a country in the southern portion of North America . It is bordered to the north by the United States ; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean ; to the southeast by Guatemala , Belize , and the Caribbean Sea ; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico . Covering almost 2,000,000 square kilometers ( 770,000 sq mi ) , the nation is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent state in the world . With an estimated population of over 129 million people , Mexico is the tenth most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world , while being the second most populous nation in Latin America after Brazil . Mexico is a federation comprising 31 states plus Mexico City ( CDMX ) , which is the capital city and its most populous city . Other metropolises in the country include Guadalajara , Monterrey , Puebla , Toluca , Tijuana , and León . Pre-Columbian Mexico dates to about 8000 BC and is identified as one of six cradles of civilization and was home to many advanced Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Olmec , Toltec , Teotihuacan , Zapotec , Maya , and Aztec before first contact with Europeans . In 1521 , the Spanish Empire conquered and colonized the territory from its politically powerful base in Mexico-Tenochtitlan ( part of Mexico City ) , which was administered as the viceroyalty of New Spain . The Roman Catholic Church played a powerful role in governing the country as millions were converted to the faith , although King Charles III expelled the Jesuits in the 1770s . The territory became a nation state following its recognition in 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence . The post-independence period was tumultuous , characterized by economic inequality and many contrasting political changes .
Germán Silva Martínez ( born 9 January 1968 in Zacatlán , Puebla ) is a retired Mexican long-distance runner who specialized in the marathon . His foremost achievements were back-to-back victories at the New York City Marathon in 1994 and 1995 . He represented Mexico twice at the Summer Olympics , in 1992 and 1996 . He also competed at the World Championships in Athletics on two occasions . His personal best for the marathon is two hours , eight minutes , and 56 seconds . Outside marathon running , he was the silver medallist at the 1994 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships ( where he set the Mexican record of 1:00:28 ) and won a gold medal in the steeplechase at the 1990 Central American and Caribbean Games .
Martín Pitayo Martínez ( born January 10 , 1960 ) is a retired long-distance runner from Mexico , who won the gold medal at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana , Cuba . He also won the 1990 edition of the Chicago Marathon , clocking 2:09:41 .
Benjamín Vencar Paredes Martínez ( born August 7 , 1961 in Ecatepec de Morelos , Estado de México ) is a retired Mexican long-distance runner who specialized in the marathon , but who also competed in duathlons , even winning a silver medal for Mexico at the ITU-world championships in Frankfurt am Main , Germany , in June 1992 .
Morocco ( /məˈrɒkoʊ/ ( listen ) ; Arabic : المغرب , romanized : al-maġhrib , lit . 'place the sun sets ; the west ' ; Standard Moroccan Tamazight : ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ , romanized : lmeɣrib ; French : Maroc ) , officially the Kingdom of Morocco ( Arabic : المملكة المغربية , romanized : al-mamlakah al-maghribiyah , lit . 'The Western Kingdom ' ; Standard Moroccan Tamazight : ⵜⴰⴳⵍⴷⵉⵜ ⵏ ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ , romanized : tageldit n lmaɣrib ; French : Royaume du Maroc ) , is a country located in the Maghreb region of North Africa . It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west , with land border with Algeria to the east and Western Sahara to the south ( status disputed ) . Morocco also claims the exclaves of Ceuta , Melilla and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera , all of them under Spanish jurisdiction , as well as several small Spanish-controlled islands of its coast . The capital is Rabat and the largest city is Casablanca . Morocco spans an area of 710,850 km2 ( 274,460 sq mi ) and has a population of over 36 million . Since the foundation of the first Moroccan state by Idris I in 788 AD , the country has been ruled by a series of independent dynasties , reaching its zenith under Almoravid and Almohad rule , when it spanned parts of Iberia and northwestern Africa . The Marinid and Saadi dynasties resisted foreign domination into the 17th century , allowing Morocco to remain the only northwest African country to avoid Ottoman occupation . The Alaouite dynasty , which rules to this day , seized power in 1631 . The country 's strategic location near the mouth of the Mediterranean attracted the interest of Europe , and in 1912 , Morocco was divided into French and Spanish protectorates , with an international zone in Tangier . It regained its independence in 1956 , and has since remained comparatively stable and prosperous by regional standards , with the fifth largest economy in Africa .
Khalid Skah ( Arabic : خالد سكاح ) ( born January 29 , 1967 ) is a Moroccan track and field athlete , winner of the 10,000 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics . Born in Midelt , Morocco , Skah established himself first as a good cross country runner by winning the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 1990 and 1991 .
Salah Hissou ( Arabic : صلاح حيسو ) ( born January 16 , 1972 in Ait Taghia , Kasba Tadla ) is a long-distance runner from Morocco , who won the gold medal over 5000 metres at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics in Seville . With 26:38.08 he also set a world record over 10,000 metres in Brussels in 1996 and won a bronze medal over 10,000 m at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta .
Abdelkader El Mouaziz ( born 1 January 1969 ) is a Moroccan long-distance runner . He holds the record for the most sub 2:10 marathon runs at 13 ( as of September 2007 [ update ] ) , now tied with Stefano Baldini . El Mouaziz is a two-time winner of the London Marathon , in 1999 and 2001 , and was the runner-up in 1998 and 2000 . He also won the 1994 Madrid Marathon and the New York City Marathon in 2000 . He was fifth at the 2002 Chicago Marathon .
Zimbabwe ( /zɪmˈbɑːbweɪ , -wi/ ) , officially the Republic of Zimbabwe , formerly Rhodesia , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa , between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers , bordered by South Africa , Botswana , Zambia and Mozambique . The capital and largest city is Harare . The second largest is Bulawayo . A country of roughly 14 million people , Zimbabwe has 16 official languages , with English , Shona , and Ndebele the most common . Since the 11th century , present-day Zimbabwe has been the site of several organised states and kingdoms as well as a major route for migration and trade . The British South Africa Company of Cecil Rhodes first demarcated the present territory during the 1890s ; it became the self-governing British colony of Southern Rhodesia in 1923 . In 1965 , the conservative white minority government unilaterally declared independence as Rhodesia . The state endured international isolation and a 15-year guerrilla war with black nationalist forces ; this culminated in a peace agreement that established universal enfranchisement and de jure sovereignty as Zimbabwe in April 1980 . Zimbabwe then joined the Commonwealth of Nations , from which it was suspended in 2002 for breaches of international law by its then-government , and from which it withdrew in December 2003 . The sovereign state is a member of the United Nations , the Southern African Development Community ( SADC ) , the African Union ( AU ) , and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa ( COMESA ) . It was once known as the Jewel of Africa for its great prosperity . Robert Mugabe became Prime Minister of Zimbabwe in 1980 , when his ZANU-PF party won the elections following the end of white minority rule ; he was the President of Zimbabwe from 1987 until his resignation in 2017 .
Tendai Chimusasa ( born January 28 , 1971 in Nyanga ) is a retired Zimbabwean long-distance runner . He carried the flag for his native country at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta , Georgia . He won the Lisbon Half Marathon 1992 and Berlin Half Marathon in 1994 and 1997 . Chimusasa was also a cross country runner and won the Eurocross meeting in Luxembourg in 1994 and 1996 .
Ethiopia ( /ˌiːθiˈoʊpiə/ ; Amharic : ኢትዮጵያ , ʾĪtyōṗṗyā , listen ( help·info ) , Tigrinya : ኢትዮጵያ , Oromo : Itiyoophiyaa , Somali : Itoobiya , Afar : Itiyoophiyaa ) , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia , is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa . It shares borders with Eritrea to the north , Djibouti to the northeast , Somalia , and the de facto state of Somaliland to the east , Kenya to the south , South Sudan to the west and Sudan to the northwest . With over 109 million inhabitants , Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world and the second-most populous nation on the African continent with a total area of 1,100,000 square kilometres ( 420,000 sq mi ) . Its capital and largest city is Addis Ababa , which lies a few miles west of the East African Rift that splits the country into the Nubian and Somali tectonic plates . Some of the oldest skeletal evidence for anatomically modern humans has been found in Ethiopia . It is widely considered as the region from which modern humans first set out for the Middle East and places beyond . According to linguists , the first Afroasiatic-speaking populations settled in the Horn region during the ensuing Neolithic era . Tracing its roots to the 2nd millennium BCE , Ethiopia 's governmental system was a monarchy for most of its history . Oral literature tells that the monarchy was founded by the Solomonic dynasty of the Queen of Sheba , under its first king , Menelik I . In the first centuries , the Kingdom of Aksum maintained a unified civilization in the region , followed by the Ethiopian Empire circa 1137 . During the late 19th-century Scramble for Africa , Ethiopia and Liberia were two nations that preserved their sovereignty from long-term colonisation by a European colonial power and many newly-independent nations on the continent subsequently adopted its flag colours . However , the country was later occupied by Italy in 1936 and became Italian Ethiopia ( part of Italian East Africa ) until it was liberated during World War II .
Addis Abebe ( Amharic : አዲስ አበበ ; born September 5 , 1970 ) is a former long-distance runner from Ethiopia , best known for winning a bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics .
Brazil ( Portuguese : Brasil ; Portuguese pronunciation : [ bɾaˈziw ] ) , [ nt 1 ] officially the Federative Republic of Brazil ( Portuguese : República Federativa do Brasil , listen ( help·info ) ) , is the largest country in both South America and Latin America . At 8.5 million square kilometers ( 3.2 million square miles ) and with over 211 million people , Brazil is the world 's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most populous . Its capital is Brasília , and its most populous city is São Paulo . The federation is composed of the union of the 26 states , the Federal District , and the 5,570 municipalities . It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas ; it is also one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations , due to over a century of mass immigration from around the world . Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east , Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 kilometers ( 4,655 mi ) . It borders all other countries in South America except Ecuador and Chile and covers 47.3% of the continent 's land area . Its Amazon River basin includes a vast tropical forest , home to diverse wildlife , a variety of ecological systems , and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats . This unique environmental heritage makes Brazil one of 17 megadiverse countries , and is the subject of significant global interest and debate regarding deforestation and environmental protection . Brazil was inhabited by numerous tribal nations prior to the landing in 1500 of explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral , who claimed the area for the Portuguese Empire . Brazil remained a Portuguese colony until 1808 , when the capital of the empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro . In 1815 , the colony was elevated to the rank of kingdom upon the formation of the United Kingdom of Portugal , Brazil and the Algarves .
Ronaldo da Costa ( born June 7 , 1970 in Descoberto , Brazil ) is a former long-distance runner and world-record holder for the marathon distance .
Luíz Antônio dos Santos ( born 6 September 1964 ) is a Brazilian male former long-distance runner who specialized in the marathon . Born in Volta Redonda , Rio de Janeiro , he was a World Championships bronze medalist and a 1996 Olympian . He twice won the Chicago Marathon and also won the Fukuoka Marathon .
Russia ( Russian : Росси́я , tr . Rossiya , IPA : [ rɐˈsʲijə ] ) , or the Russian Federation , [ e ] is a European country located in Eastern Europe with a vast expanse of territory that stretches across Northern Asia . At 17,125,200 square kilometres ( 6,612,100 sq mi ) , it is by far the largest country in the world by area , covering more than one-eighth of the Earth 's inhabited land area , spanning eleven time zones , and bordering 16 sovereign nations . The territory of Russia extends from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east , and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caucasus in the south . With 146.7 million inhabitants living in the country 's 85 federal subjects as of 2020 , Russia is the most populous nation in Europe and the ninth-most populous nation in the world . Russia 's capital and largest city is Moscow ; other major urban areas include Saint Petersburg , Novosibirsk , Yekaterinburg , Nizhny Novgorod , Kazan and Chelyabinsk . The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD . Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants , the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century . In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire , beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium . Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states , until it was finally reunified by the Grand Duchy of Moscow in the 15th century . By the 18th century , the nation had greatly expanded through conquest , annexation , and exploration to become the Russian Empire , which was the third largest empire in history , stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east . Following the Russian Revolution , the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ( Russian SFSR ) became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( USSR/Soviet Union ) , the world 's first constitutionally socialist state .
Andrey Tikhonov ( born 11 December 1966 ) is a Russian ( formerly Soviet ) long-distance runner . He competed in the men 's 5000 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics , representing the Unified Team .
Portugal ( Portuguese : [ puɾtuˈɣal ] ) , officially the Portuguese Republic ( Portuguese : República Portuguesa [ ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ puɾtuˈɣezɐ ] ) , [ note 5 ] is a country located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula , in southwestern Europe . It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe , being bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain . Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira , both autonomous regions with their own regional governments . Portugal is the oldest nation state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe and the world , its territory having been continuously settled , invaded and fought over since prehistoric times . The pre-Celtic people , Iberians , Celts , Carthaginians and Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigoths and Suebi Germanic peoples . After the Muslim conquests of the Iberian Peninsula , most of the territory was part of Al-Andalus until their expulsion . Portugal as a country was established during the early Christian Reconquista . Founded in 868 , the County of Portugal gained prominence after the Battle of São Mamede in 1128 . The Kingdom of Portugal was later proclaimed following the Battle of Ourique in 1139 , and independence from León was recognised by the Treaty of Zamora in 1143 . On 12 December 2017 , the Portuguese Navy commemorated the 700th anniversary of its official creation by King Denis of Portugal . Tracing its origins back to the 12th century , it is the oldest continuously serving navy in the world . In the 15th and 16th centuries , Portugal established the first global empire , becoming one of the world 's major economic , political and military powers .
Fernando Fontes Couto ( born 4 December 1959 ) is a Portuguese long-distance runner . He competed in the men 's 5000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics and in the men 's 10000 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics .
Germany ( German : Deutschland , German pronunciation : [ ˈdɔʏtʃlant ] ) , constitutionally the Federal Republic of Germany ( German : Bundesrepublik Deutschland , listen ( help·info ) ) , [ f ] is a country in Central and Western Europe . It borders Denmark to the north , Poland and the Czech Republic to the east , Austria and Switzerland to the south , France to the southwest , and Luxembourg , Belgium , and the Netherlands to the west . Germany includes 16 constituent states , covers an area of 357,386 square kilometres ( 137,988 sq mi ) , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With 83 million inhabitants , it is the second most populous state of Europe after Russia , the most populous state lying entirely in Europe , as well as the most populous member state of the European Union . Germany is a very decentralised country . Its capital and largest metropolis is Berlin , while Frankfurt serves as its financial capital and has the country 's busiest airport . Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity . A region named Germania was documented before AD 100 . Beginning in the 10th century , German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire . During the 16th century , northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation . After the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire , the German Confederation was formed in 1815 . The German revolutions of 1848-49 resulted in the Frankfurt Parliament establishing major democratic rights .
Carsten Eich ( born 9 January 1970 ) is a retired ( East ) German runner who specialized in the 10,000 metres and the marathons . He is an eight-time German champion and national record holder in the half marathon .
Konrad Waldemar Dobler ( born 27 April 1957 in Alt-Asbach , Rotthalmünster , Lower Bavaria ) is a former long-distance runner from Germany , who twice represented his native country at the Summer Olympics : 1992 and 1996 . He set his personal best ( 2:11:57 ) in the men 's marathon in 1991 . Dobler is a policeman by occupation . He currently serves as a mayor of Langerringen in Swabia .
France ( French : [ fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ) , officially the French Republic ( French : République française , pronounced [ ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛːz ] ( listen ) ) , is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . [ XIII ] The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . It is bordered by Belgium , Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast , Switzerland and Italy to the east , and Andorra and Spain to the south . The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . The country 's 18 integral regions ( five of which are situated overseas ) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres ( 248,573 sq mi ) and a total population of 67.02 million ( as of July 2019 [ update ] ) . France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban areas include Lyon , Marseille , Toulouse , Bordeaux , Lille and Nice . France , including its overseas territories , has the most number of time zones of any country , with a total of 12 . During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . Rome annexed the area in 51 BC , holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476 , who formed the Kingdom of Francia . The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia , Middle Francia and West Francia . West Francia , which became the Kingdom of France in 987 , emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , following its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337-1453 ) .
Paul Arpin ( born 20 February 1960 in Bourg-Saint-Maurice ) is a retired long-distance runner from France , who represented his native country in the men 's 10,000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics , finishing in seventh place . Paul Arpin also finished third at the 1987 IAAF World Cross Country Championships behind Kenyans John Ngugi and Paul Kipkoech . He was also part of the bronze medal-winning French team at the 1988 edition behind Kenya and Ethiopia ( Paul Arpin finished 11th individually )
South Africa , officially the Republic of South Africa ( RSA ) , is the southernmost country in Africa . It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres ( 1,739 mi ) of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans ; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia , Botswana , and Zimbabwe ; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini ( Swaziland ) ; and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho . South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 24th-largest country in the world by land area and , with over 58 million people , is also the world 's 24th-most populous nation . It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere . About 80 percent of South Africans are of Bantu ancestry , divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages , nine of which have official status . The remaining population consists of Africa 's largest communities of European , Asian ( Indian ) , and multiracial ( Coloured ) ancestry . South Africa is a multiethnic society encompassing a wide variety of cultures , languages , and religions . Its pluralistic makeup is reflected in the constitution 's recognition of 11 official languages , which is the fourth-highest number in the world . Two of these languages are of European origin : Afrikaans developed from Dutch and serves as the first language of most coloured and white South Africans ; English reflects the legacy of British colonialism , and is commonly used in public and commercial life , though it is fourth-ranked as a spoken first language . The country is one of the few in Africa never to have had a coup d'état , and regular elections have been held for almost a century . However , the vast majority of black South Africans were not enfranchised until 1994 . During the 20th century , the black majority sought to claim more rights from the dominant white minority , with this struggle playing a large role in the country 's recent history and politics .
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK or U.K. ) or Britain , [ note 11 ] is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland . Existing under its current name since 1921 , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north­eastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland . Otherwise , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to the east , the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the southwest , giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea separates Great Britain and Ireland . The total area of the United Kingdom is 94,000 square miles ( 240,000 km2 ) . The United Kingdom is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy . [ note 12 ] The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II , who has reigned since 1952 , making her the world 's longest-serving current head of state . The United Kingdom 's capital and largest city is London , a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million . Other major cities include Birmingham , Manchester , Glasgow , Leeds and Liverpool . The United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries : England , Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland . Their capitals are London , Edinburgh , Cardiff , and Belfast , respectively .
Andrew Pearson ( born 14 September 1971 ) is a British long-distance runner who mainly had success in cross country running . He made eight appearances at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and was an individual and team bronze medallist at the 1995 European Cross Country Championships ( his highest honour ) . He also won silver medals at the European Mountain Running Championships in 1998 .
Algeria ( /ælˈdʒɪəriə/ ( listen ) al-JEER-ee-ə ) is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa . The capital and most populous city is Algiers , located in the far north of the country on the Mediterranean coast . With an area of 2,381,741 square kilometres ( 919,595 sq mi ) , Algeria is the tenth-largest country in the world , and the largest in the African Union and Arab World . With an estimated population of over 42 million , it is among the ten most populous states in Africa . Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia , to the east by Libya , to the west by Morocco , to the southwest by the Western Saharan territory , Mauritania , and Mali , to the southeast by Niger , and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea . It is a semi-presidential republic consisting of 48 provinces and 1,541 communes ( counties ) . Pre-1962 Algeria has known many empires and dynasties , including ancient Numidians , Phoenicians , Carthaginians , Romans , Vandals , Byzantines , Umayyads , Abbasids , Idrisid , Aghlabid , Rustamid , Fatimids , Zirid , Hammadids , Almoravids , Almohads , Zayyanids , Spaniards , Ottomans and , finally , the French colonial empire . Algeria is a regional and middle power . It has the highest human development index of all non-island African countries and one of the largest economies on the continent , based largely on energy exports . Algeria has the 16th largest oil reserves in the world and the second largest in Africa , while it has the ninth largest reserves of natural gas . Sonatrach , the national oil company , is the largest company in Africa , supplying large amounts of natural gas to Europe . Algeria has one of the largest militaries in Africa and the largest defence budget .
Kamel Kohil ( born 25 December 1971 ) is an Algerian long-distance runner . He competed in the men 's marathon at the 2000 Summer Olympics .
Djibouti ( /dʒɪˈbuːti/ ( listen ) jih-BOO-tee ; Afar : Yibuuti , Arabic : جيبوتي Jībūtī , French : Djibouti , Somali : Jabuuti , officially the Republic of Djibouti ) is a country located in the Horn of Africa . It is bordered by Somalia in the south , Ethiopia in the south and west , Eritrea in the north , and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in the east . Across the Gulf of Aden lies Yemen , which does not share a land border with Djibouti . The country has a total area of 23,200 km2 ( 8,958 sq mi ) . The state of Djibouti is predominantly inhabited by two ethnic groups , the Somali and the Afar people , with the former comprising the majority of the population . In antiquity , the territory together with Somalia was part of the Land of Punt . Nearby Zeila , now in Somalia , was the seat of the medieval Adal and Ifat Sultanates . In the late 19th century , the colony of French Somaliland was established following treaties signed by the ruling Somali and Afar sultans with the French and its railroad to Dire Dawa ( and later Addis Ababa ) allowed it to quickly supersede Zeila as the port for southern Ethiopia and the Ogaden . It was subsequently renamed to the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas in 1967 . A decade later , the Djiboutian people voted for independence . This officially marked the establishment of the Republic of Djibouti , named after its capital city . The sovereign state joined the United Nations the same year , on 20 September 1977 In the early 1990s , tensions over government representation led to armed conflict , which ended in a power-sharing agreement in 2000 between the ruling party and the opposition .
Talal Omar Abdillahi ( born 12 May 1967 ) is a Djiboutian long-distance athlete . Abdillahi has competed at the Olympics twice , firstly at the 1988 Summer Olympics , where he finished 18th in his heat in the 10,000 metres so did n't qualify for the final , four years later he entered the marathon at the 1992 Summer Olympics but he did n't finish the course .
Zambia ( /ˈzæmbiə/ ) , officially the Republic of Zambia , is a landlocked country in Southern-Central Africa ( although some sources consider it part of East Africa ) . Its neighbors are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north , Tanzania to the north-east , Malawi to the east , Mozambique to the southeast , Zimbabwe and Botswana to the south , Namibia to the southwest , and Angola to the west . The capital city is Lusaka , located in the south-central part of Zambia . The population is concentrated mainly around Lusaka in the south and the Copperbelt Province to the northwest , the core economic hubs of the country . Originally inhabited by Khoisan peoples , the region was affected by the Bantu expansion of the thirteenth century . Following European explorers in the eighteenth century , the British colonised the region into the British protectorates of Barotziland-North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia towards the end of the nineteenth century . These were merged in 1911 to form Northern Rhodesia . For most of the colonial period , Zambia was governed by an administration appointed from London with the advice of the British South Africa Company . On 24 October 1964 , Zambia became independent of the United Kingdom and prime minister Kenneth Kaunda became the inaugural president . Kaunda 's socialist United National Independence Party ( UNIP ) maintained power from 1964 until 1991 . Kaunda played a key role in regional diplomacy , cooperating closely with the United States in search of solutions to conflicts in Rhodesia ( Zimbabwe ) , Angola , and Namibia . From 1972 to 1991 Zambia was a one-party state with the UNIP as the sole legal political party under the motto One Zambia , One Nation .
Fackson Nkandu ( born 27 May 1971 ) is a Zambian long-distance runner who specialized in the 10,000 metres during his career . He won a bronze medal in this event at the 1994 Commonwealth Games . He also competed in the 1993 World Championships . He is the national record order in the 10 km road , setting his mark in Durban , Republic of South Africa on 16 November 1996 . Also a Zambian records in athletics in The 3rd IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held on 24 September 1994 in Oslo , Norway .
Japan ( Japanese : 日本 , Nippon [ ɲippoꜜɴ ] ( listen ) or Nihon [ ɲihoꜜɴ ] ( listen ) ) is an island country located in East Asia . It is bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east , and spans more than 3,000 kilometers ( 1,900 mi ) along the coast of the continent from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Philippine Sea in the south . Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire , Japan encompasses a stratovolcanic archipelago of about 6,852 islands , with five main islands ( Hokkaido , Honshu , Kyushu , Shikoku , and Okinawa ) comprising 97% of the country 's total area of 377,975 square kilometers ( 145,937 sq mi ) . Japan is officially divided into 47 prefectures and traditionally into eight regions . Approximately two-thirds of the country 's terrain is mountainous and heavily forested , and less than one-eighth of land is suitable for agriculture . Consequently , Japan is among the most densely populated and urbanized countries in the world , with over 90% of its population living in urban areas . The largest of these is the metropolitan area centered on the capital city of Tokyo , which is the most populous in the world and home to more than 38 million people . Japan itself is the world 's eleventh most populous country with a population of 126.2 million , of which 97.8% are ethnically Japanese . The kanji ( or Chinese characters ) that make up the name of Japan in the Japanese language mean sun origin ; in the Western world , the country is often known by the sobriquet Land of the Rising Sun . Periods of influence from other regions , primarily China , followed by periods of isolation , particularly from Western Europe , have characterized the history of Japan . While archaeological evidence indicates that Japan was inhabited as early as the Upper Paleolithic period , the first written mention of the archipelago appears in Chinese texts from the first century AD . Between the fourth and ninth centuries , the kingdoms of Japan became gradually unified under an Emperor and imperial court based in Heian-kyō ( modern Kyoto ) .
Kenjiro Jitsui ( born 16 December 1968 ) is a Japanese long-distance runner . He competed in the men 's marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics .
The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. or US ) or America , is a country consisting of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions . [ g ] At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) , it is the world 's third or fourth-largest country by total area [ b ] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe . Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico . With an estimated population of over 328 million , the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the most populous city is New York City . Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783 , leading to independence . The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century - gradually acquiring new territories , displacing Native Americans , and admitting new states - until by 1848 it spanned the continent . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States . The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed the country 's status as a global military power .
Kyrgyzstan ( /ˌkɜːrɡɪˈstɑːn/ KUR-gih-STAHN ; Kyrgyz : Кыргызстан Kırğızstan Kyrgyz pronunciation : [ qɯrʁɯsˈstɑn ] ) , officially the Kyrgyz Republic ( Kyrgyz : Кыргыз Республикасы , romanized : Kırğız Respublikası ; Russian : Кыргызская Республика , tr . Kyrgyzskaya Respublika ) , and also known as Kirghizia ( Russian : Киргизия [ kʲɪrˈɡʲizʲɪjə ] ) , is a country in Central Asia . Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country with mountainous terrain . It is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north , Uzbekistan to the west and southwest , Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east . Its capital and largest city is Bishkek . Kyrgyzstan 's recorded history spans over 2,000 years , encompassing a variety of cultures and empires . Although geographically isolated by its highly mountainous terrain , which has helped preserve its ancient culture , Kyrgyzstan has been at the crossroads of several great civilizations as part of the Silk Road and other commercial and cultural routes . Though long inhabited by a succession of independent tribes and clans , Kyrgyzstan has periodically fallen under foreign domination and attained sovereignty as a nation-state only after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 . Since independence , the sovereign state has officially been a unitary parliamentary republic , although it continues to endure ethnic conflicts , revolts , economic troubles , transitional governments and political conflict . Kyrgyzstan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States , the Eurasian Economic Union , the Collective Security Treaty Organization , the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation , the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the Turkic Council , the Türksoy community and the United Nations . Ethnic Kyrgyz make up the majority of the country 's six million people , followed by significant minorities of Uzbeks and Russians . Kyrgyz is closely related to other Turkic languages , although Russian remains widely spoken and is an official language , a legacy of a century of Russification .
Nazirdin Alikbekov ( born 14 July 1966 ) is a Kyrgyzstani long-distance runner . He competed in the men 's marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 2000 Summer Olympics .
Israel , formally known as the State of Israel ( Hebrew : מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל ) , is a country in Western Asia , located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea . It has land borders with Lebanon to the north , Syria to the northeast , Jordan on the east , the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the east and west , respectively , and Egypt to the southwest . The country contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area . Israel 's economic and technological center is Tel Aviv , while its seat of government and proclaimed capital is Jerusalem , although the state 's sovereignty over Jerusalem has only partial recognition . [ fn 4 ] Israel has evidence of the earliest migration of hominids out of Africa . Canaanite tribes are archaeologically attested since the Middle Bronze Age , while the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah emerged during the Iron Age . The Neo-Assyrian Empire destroyed Israel around 720 BCE . Judah was later conquered by the Babylonian , Persian and Hellenistic empires and had existed as Jewish autonomous provinces . The successful Maccabean Revolt led to an independent Hasmonean kingdom by 110 BCE , which in 63 BCE however became a client state of the Roman Republic that subsequently installed the Herodian dynasty in 37 BCE , and in 6 CE created the Roman province of Judea . Judea lasted as a Roman province until the failed Jewish revolts resulted in widespread destruction , the expulsion of the Jewish population and the renaming of the region from Iudaea to Syria Palaestina . Jewish presence in the region has persisted to a certain extent over the centuries . In the 7th century CE , the Levant was taken from the Byzantine Empire by the Arabs and remained in Muslim control until the First Crusade of 1099 , followed by the Ayyubid conquest of 1187 .
Ayele Seteng ( born 11 April 1955 ) is an Ethiopian-born Israeli long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon .
Asaf Bimro is a retired Israeli long-distance runner who specialized in the marathon . He was an Ethiopian citizen until 1984 when he emigrated to Israel . His best finishes at the European or World Championships has been a 20th place at the 2002 European Championships , an 18th place at the 2001 World Championships and a 25th place at the 2006 European Championships . He also competed at the 1995 World Championships ( without finishing the race ) , the 1997 World Championships , the 2003 World Championships , the 2004 Olympic Games , the 2005 World Championships , the 2005 World Half Marathon Championships and the 2007 World Championships . His personal best times are 29:49.85 minutes in the 10,000 metres , achieved in May 1992 in Tel Aviv ; 1:04:47 hours in the half marathon , achieved in March 1997 in Tel Aviv ; and 2:14:52 hours in the marathon , achieved at the 2003 World Championships in Paris .
Switzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a country situated in the confluence of western , central , and southern Europe . [ note 4 ] It is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons , with federal authorities seated in Bern . [ note 1 ] Switzerland is a landlocked country bordered by Italy to the south , France to the west , Germany to the north , and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east . It is geographically divided among the Swiss Plateau , the Alps , and the Jura , spanning a total area of 41,285 km2 ( 15,940 sq mi ) , and land area of 39,997 km2 ( 15,443 sq mi ) . While the Alps occupy the greater part of the territory , the Swiss population of approximately 8.5 million is concentrated mostly on the plateau , where the largest cities are located , among them the two global cities and economic centres of Zürich and Geneva . The establishment of the Old Swiss Confederacy dates to the late medieval period , resulting from a series of military successes against Austria and Burgundy . Swiss independence from the Holy Roman Empire was formally recognized in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 . The Federal Charter of 1291 is considered the founding document of Switzerland which is celebrated on Swiss National Day . Since the Reformation of the 16th century , Switzerland has maintained a strong policy of armed neutrality ; it has not fought an international war since 1815 and did not join the United Nations until 2002 . Nevertheless , it pursues an active foreign policy and is frequently involved in peace-building processes around the world . Switzerland is the birthplace of the Red Cross , one of the world 's oldest and best known humanitarian organisations , and is home to numerous international organisations , including the second largest UN office . It is a founding member of the European Free Trade Association , but notably not part of the European Union , the European Economic Area or the Eurozone .