Grete Waitz

Norwegian marathon runner and world record holder who won 12 World Marathon Majors, the most for any runner, earning her a place in the Guinness World Records. In 1979, at the New York City Marathon, she became the first woman in history to run the marathon in under two and a half hours. She won nine New York City Marathons, women's division, between 1978 and 1988, more than any other runner in history.

She won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and a gold medal at the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki. Her other marathon victories included winning the London Marathon in 1983 and 1986. She was also a five-time winner of the World Cross Country Championships.

Waitz died of cancer on 19 April 2011, aged 57. She was first diagnosed in 2005, but the specific type of cancer was never disclosed to the public. The Norwegian government announced she would be buried with government honour at state expense, the sixth woman in Norwegian history to be given this honour. This was equivalent to a state funeral, although in accordance with her family wishes the ceremony was private.