In 2016, Almaz Ayana broke a 23-year old record in the 10,000 meters. She broke it on the biggest stage in the world, the Olympics, with a time of 29 minutes, 17 seconds and forty-five milliseconds. She beat the previous record by a whopping 14 seconds. She was subsequently named one of the top runners of the year in 2016, alongside the sprinting legend Usain Bolt, by the International Association of Athletics Federations.