# Sifan Hassan

**Sifan Hassan** (born 1993 in Nazreth, Ethiopia) is a Dutch distance runner who competes from 1500 meters to the marathon and has won Olympic gold medals in the 5000 meters, the 10,000 meters, and the marathon.<sup>[1](https://www.teamnl.org/sporters/sifan-hassan)</sup> She arrived in the Netherlands as a refugee in 2008 at age 15, received Dutch citizenship in 2013, and by the mid-2020s had become one of the most decorated and versatile distance runners in the sport, named women's World Athlete of the Year for 2024.<sup>[2](https://www.nocnsf.nl/over-nocnsf/sporterfgoed/sifan-hassan)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://webassets.nyrr.org/nyrrwebsiteassets/TCSNYCM25_Media%20Guide_DIGITAL_M2_2.pdf)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1993, Nazreth, Ethiopia; moved to the Netherlands in 2008 at age 15<sup>[1](https://www.teamnl.org/sporters/sifan-hassan)</sup> |
| Olympic medals | 3 gold, 3 bronze: Tokyo 2020 (5000 m, 10,000 m gold; 1500 m bronze) and Paris 2024 (marathon gold; 5000 m and 10,000 m bronze)<sup>[2](https://www.nocnsf.nl/over-nocnsf/sporterfgoed/sifan-hassan)</sup> |
| World Championships | two gold, one silver, and three bronze, including the 1500 m and 10,000 m double at Doha 2019<sup>[2](https://www.nocnsf.nl/over-nocnsf/sporterfgoed/sifan-hassan)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[23](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/_/14489606)</sup> |
| Marathon record | Won 3 of her first 5 marathons: London 2023 (debut), Chicago 2023 (2:13:44), Paris 2024 (2:22:55, Olympic record)<sup>[4](https://worldathletics.org/news/news/sifan-hassan-sydney-marathon-2025)</sup> |
| Former world records | 1 mile (July 2019), 10,000 m (29:06.82, Hengelo, June 2021), and the 1-hour event (Brussels, 2020)<sup>[5](https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/6120f5abfd2ba2dd154af86a.pdf)</sup> |
| Honors | Women's World Athlete of the Year 2024; Dutch Sportswoman of the Year 2024<sup>[3](https://webassets.nyrr.org/nyrrwebsiteassets/TCSNYCM25_Media%20Guide_DIGITAL_M2_2.pdf)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.teamnl.org/sporters/sifan-hassan)</sup>  |

## Early life

Hassan was born in Nazreth, Ethiopia. In 2008 her mother sent her to the Netherlands, where she first stayed in a reception camp in Zuidlaren; eight months later she moved to [Leeuwarden](https://www.edgepedia.org/leeuwarden), where she took up running.<sup>[2](https://www.nocnsf.nl/over-nocnsf/sporterfgoed/sifan-hassan)</sup> She trained as a nurse before starting her running career.<sup>[6](https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/world-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-7138987/news/news/sifan-hassan-the-most-versatile-superhero)</sup> She received her Dutch passport in 2013, and by October 2019 her world title in the 1500 m at Doha was already her fourteenth medal at an international championship.<sup>[7](https://www.dopingautoriteit.nl/nieuws/anp/9611)</sup>

At the 2016 Rio Olympics she finished fifth in the 1500 m and 22nd in the 800 m.<sup>[2](https://www.nocnsf.nl/over-nocnsf/sporterfgoed/sifan-hassan)</sup>

## Doha 2019 and the Salazar shadow

**The 2019 breakthrough.** At the World Championships in Doha, Hassan won both the 1500 m and the 10,000 m, becoming the first athlete, male or female, to win both events at a single World Championships or Olympic Games.<sup>[2](https://www.nocnsf.nl/over-nocnsf/sporterfgoed/sifan-hassan)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://nos.nl/artikel/2303776-hassan-verovert-op-imposante-wijze-wereldtitel-10-000-meter)</sup>  Her winning 1500 m time was 0.52 seconds faster than the European record Tatjana Kazankina had held since 1980.<sup>[9](https://nos.nl/artikel/2304852-superieure-hassan-schrijft-historie-ook-wk-goud-op-1-500-meter)</sup> That July she had also broken the 23-year-old world record in the mile.<sup>[5](https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/6120f5abfd2ba2dd154af86a.pdf)</sup>

Her career has carried a persistent shadow: her coach, the American Alberto Salazar, head of the Nike-funded Oregon Project where she trained, was suspended for four years in 2019 for doping incitement. Hassan has never been convicted of cheating and has never failed a doping test, but *Le Monde* reported that suspicion from that episode has followed her since.<sup>[10](https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2024/08/11/marathon-aux-jo-2024-l-incroyable-triptyque-de-la-vainqueure-neerlandaise-sifan-hassan_6276489_3242.html)</sup>

## Tokyo 2020: the triple medal

In 2021 Hassan set a 10,000 m world record of 29:06.82 at the FBK Games in Hengelo, a mark that stood for 54 hours before Letesenbet Gidey broke it at the Ethiopian Olympic Trials.<sup>[11](https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitioninfo/8b2c6d44-27b0-4b77-a7de-79211a26c079.pdf)</sup>

At the Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021, she entered the 1500 m, 5000 m, and 10,000 m. In her 1500 m heat she tripped over a fallen runner entering the final lap, fell, got up, passed the entire field, and qualified; later that day she won 5000 m gold.<sup>[2](https://www.nocnsf.nl/over-nocnsf/sporterfgoed/sifan-hassan)</sup> She took bronze in the 1500 m, then won the 10,000 m with a final 100 m of 13.6 seconds, becoming only the second woman after Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba in 2008 to complete the Olympic 5000 m and 10,000 m double.<sup>[12](https://worldathletics.org/news/report/tokyo-olympic-games-women-10000m-report)</sup> No athlete had previously claimed medals in the 1500 m, 5000 m, and 10,000 m at the same Olympics.<sup>[12](https://worldathletics.org/news/report/tokyo-olympic-games-women-10000m-report)</sup> Her 5000 m gold made her the first Dutch athlete to win Olympic athletics gold since [Ellen van Langen](https://www.edgepedia.org/ellen-van-langen) in 1992.<sup>[2](https://www.nocnsf.nl/over-nocnsf/sporterfgoed/sifan-hassan)</sup>

## Moving to the marathon

**A dramatic debut.** Hassan ran her first marathon at London in April 2023, saying beforehand, "I'm going to finish the distance or the distance is going to finish me."<sup>[13](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/athletics/london-marathon-2023-sifan-hassan-time-b2325158.html)</sup> She stopped twice to stretch an injured leg, fell well off the pace around 15 miles, caught the leaders with three miles to go, and won in a sprint finish over the Olympic champion [Peres Jepchirchir](https://www.edgepedia.org/peres-jepchirchir).<sup>[13](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/athletics/london-marathon-2023-sifan-hassan-time-b2325158.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[14](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/apr/23/london-marathon-sifan-hassan-kelvin-kiptum-race-report-athletics)</sup>  Six weeks earlier she had medaled on the track at the Budapest World Championships, taking bronze in the 1500 m in 3:56.00 and silver in the 5000 m, and she became the first Dutch athlete to medal at four different World Championships.<sup>[15](https://nos.nl/collectie/13945/artikel/2487646-hassan-maakt-met-brons-reputatie-waar-van-vrouw-die-alles-kan-wk-nu-al-geslaagd)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[16](https://www.marathonshoehistory.com/2024-sifan-hassan/)</sup>

At the [Chicago Marathon](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-marathon) in October 2023 she won in 2:13:44, a course record. The Associated Press called it the second-fastest women's marathon ever at the time, while [World Athletics](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-athletics) later described it as the third-fastest in history.<sup>[17](https://apnews.com/article/f52dd72a801574b0204840bdfe102dab)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://worldathletics.org/news/news/sifan-hassan-sydney-marathon-2025)</sup>

## Paris 2024: the marathon treble

At the Paris Olympics Hassan contested four events over six days: a 5000 m heat on 2 August, the 5000 m final on 5 August, the 10,000 m final on 9 August, and the marathon on 11 August.<sup>[10](https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2024/08/11/marathon-aux-jo-2024-l-incroyable-triptyque-de-la-vainqueure-neerlandaise-sifan-hassan_6276489_3242.html)</sup> She took bronze in the 5000 m and the 10,000 m, then won the marathon in 2:22:55, an Olympic record, outkicking the world record holder Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia in the final 200 meters; Hellen Obiri of Kenya was third.<sup>[18](https://iaafmedia.s3.amazonaws.com/misc/olympics/OG2024_ATHLETICS.pdf)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2024/08/11/marathon-aux-jo-2024-l-incroyable-triptyque-de-la-vainqueure-neerlandaise-sifan-hassan_6276489_3242.html)</sup>

She described the effort bluntly: "It has been hard from start to finish. At every stage of the course I said to myself: why did you run the 5000 and the 10,000? Why do you do this? What is wrong with you?"<sup>[10](https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2024/08/11/marathon-aux-jo-2024-l-incroyable-triptyque-de-la-vainqueure-neerlandaise-sifan-hassan_6276489_3242.html)</sup>

## Versatility and later career

Hassan has been ranked World No. 1 by World Athletics in the 1500 m, 5000 m, 10,000 m, women's road running, and women's overall ranking at different points in her career.<sup>[20](https://movaia.com/sifan-hassans-running-form-in-1500m-vs-marathon-racing/)</sup> She has held world records in the mile, the 10,000 m, and the 1-hour event, the latter set in Brussels in 2020.<sup>[5](https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/6120f5abfd2ba2dd154af86a.pdf)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[19](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jan/13/sifan-hassan-rejects-greatest-claim-london-marathon)</sup>  Counting Olympic and World Championships medals she reached twelve, including five gold, by 2025.<sup>[3](https://webassets.nyrr.org/nyrrwebsiteassets/TCSNYCM25_Media%20Guide_DIGITAL_M2_2.pdf)</sup>

She won the 2025 Sydney Marathon in 2:18:22, her third marathon victory from five starts, and was named Dutch Sportswoman of the Year for 2024 alongside cyclist [Harrie Lavreysen](https://www.edgepedia.org/harrie-lavreysen) as Sportsman of the Year.<sup>[3](https://webassets.nyrr.org/nyrrwebsiteassets/TCSNYCM25_Media%20Guide_DIGITAL_M2_2.pdf)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://worldathletics.org/news/news/sifan-hassan-sydney-marathon-2025)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.teamnl.org/sporters/sifan-hassan)</sup>  At the 2025 [London Marathon](https://www.edgepedia.org/london-marathon) she finished third, 3:10 behind the winner.<sup>[21](https://apnews.com/article/c0350630fa1cc02c22256c1d5dda2737)</sup> She withdrew from the [2026 London Marathon](https://www.edgepedia.org/2026-london-marathon) after a treadmill training injury sustained about six weeks before the race.<sup>[22](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/cjr9404v9y4o)</sup>

Asked about claims that she is the greatest female distance runner of all time, Hassan rejected the label: "I don't think I am the Goat. Because if I do, I'm not going to improve myself."<sup>[19](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jan/13/sifan-hassan-rejects-greatest-claim-london-marathon)</sup>

## References

1. [Sifan Hassan, TeamNL athlete profile](https://www.teamnl.org/sporters/sifan-hassan)
2. [Sifan Hassan, NOC*NSF Sporterfgoed](https://www.nocnsf.nl/over-nocnsf/sporterfgoed/sifan-hassan)
3. [Sifan Hassan, TCS New York City Marathon 2025 Media Guide](https://webassets.nyrr.org/nyrrwebsiteassets/TCSNYCM25_Media%20Guide_DIGITAL_M2_2.pdf)
4. [Olympic champion Hassan to run Sydney Marathon, World Athletics](https://worldathletics.org/news/news/sifan-hassan-sydney-marathon-2025)
5. [Sifan Hassan bio sheet, World Athletics](https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/6120f5abfd2ba2dd154af86a.pdf)
6. [Sifan Hassan, the most versatile superhero, World Athletics (Budapest 2023)](https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/world-athletics-championships-budapest-2023-7138987/news/news/sifan-hassan-the-most-versatile-superhero)
7. [Medailleteller Hassan tikt maar door, Dopingautoriteit/ANP](https://www.dopingautoriteit.nl/nieuws/anp/9611)
8. [Hassan verovert op imposante wijze wereldtitel 10.000 meter, NOS](https://nos.nl/artikel/2303776-hassan-verovert-op-imposante-wijze-wereldtitel-10-000-meter)
9. [Superieure Hassan schrijft historie: ook WK-goud op 1.500 meter, NOS](https://nos.nl/artikel/2304852-superieure-hassan-schrijft-historie-ook-wk-goud-op-1-500-meter)
10. [Marathon aux JO 2024 : l'incroyable triptyque de la vainqueure néerlandaise Sifan Hassan, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2024/08/11/marathon-aux-jo-2024-l-incroyable-triptyque-de-la-vainqueure-neerlandaise-sifan-hassan_6276489_3242.html)
11. [Competition info sheet, World Athletics (Hengelo 2021 world record)](https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitioninfo/8b2c6d44-27b0-4b77-a7de-79211a26c079.pdf)
12. [History-maker Hassan completes medal treble in Tokyo, World Athletics](https://worldathletics.org/news/report/tokyo-olympic-games-women-10000m-report)
13. [Sifan Hassan wins debut London Marathon in thrilling sprint finish, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/athletics/london-marathon-2023-sifan-hassan-time-b2325158.html)
14. [London Marathon: Sifan Hassan stops twice and dodges bike in dramatic win, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/apr/23/london-marathon-sifan-hassan-kelvin-kiptum-race-report-athletics)
15. [Hassan maakt met brons reputatie waar van vrouw die alles kan, NOS](https://nos.nl/collectie/13945/artikel/2487646-hassan-maakt-met-brons-reputatie-waar-van-vrouw-die-alles-kan-wk-nu-al-geslaagd)
16. [2024 – Sifan Hassan, Marathon Shoe History](https://www.marathonshoehistory.com/2024-sifan-hassan/)
17. [Kiptum sets world marathon record in Chicago in 2:00:35, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/f52dd72a801574b0204840bdfe102dab)
18. [Official Athletics Results Book, Paris 2024](https://iaafmedia.s3.amazonaws.com/misc/olympics/OG2024_ATHLETICS.pdf)
19. [Sifan Hassan rejects greatest-ever claim and confirms London Marathon entry, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jan/13/sifan-hassan-rejects-greatest-claim-london-marathon)
20. [Sifan Hassan's Running Form in 1500m vs. Marathon Racing, Movaia](https://movaia.com/sifan-hassans-running-form-in-1500m-vs-marathon-racing/)
21. [Kenyan runner Sawe wins London Marathon after solo breakaway, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/c0350630fa1cc02c22256c1d5dda2737)
22. [London Marathon 2026: Olympic champion Sifan Hassan withdraws after injury, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/articles/cjr9404v9y4o)
23. [Sifan HASSAN, Profile, World Athletics](https://worldathletics.org/athletes/_/14489606)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Athletics, gymnastics, and strength sports › Athletes of track and field and road running › Middle and long-distance track runners*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license