Carlos Lopes

Lopes won the world cross-country title in 1976 and then, remarkably, again in 1984 and 1985 in his late thirties, either side of his Olympic marathon gold. His wins came on contrasting courses, from firm grass to heavy going, and his strength and steady rhythm let him wear down younger fields over the longer senior race. That he could win across a nine-year gap says plenty about how well his running suited the country.