Margaret Okayo
Country: Kenya
Age: 25
Personal best: 2:24:21 (New York, 2001)

Okayo is one of the hottest runners on the world scene. She is the reigning champion in the New York Marathon as well as the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego. In winning in San Diego last year, she broke her course record (2:25:05) and pulled away from three-time Boston champion Fatuma Roba and Ethiopia's Elfenesh Alemu at the 16-mile mark. Later in 2001, Okayo broke the course record in New York by 19 seconds, winning in a personal best of 2:24:21. She was ranked No. 4 by Track & Field News, and last year won the the Udine Half-Marathon in a personal-best and course-record 68:51, and the Americas Finest City Half-Marathon in a course-record 1:10:37. On the track, she placed second in the 5,000 meters at the Kenyan Athletics Championships and World Championships Trials in Nairobi, running a 15:30 at altitude.