Bibiro Ali Taher

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Bibiro Ali Taher is a long-distance runner from Chad, born on 24 April 1988. She moved to France with her family at age five and started athletics at seven in Calvados. She later lived in Hérouville-Saint-Clair, Normandy, where she began pursuing running more seriously around age 20, first at a college in Saint-Michel and then in Sotteville-lès-Rouen on a sports scholarship. While chasing her sport, Taher worked as an Air France flight attendant. Chad’s officials arranged yearly training trips to Kenya for six years so she could train with top Kenyan runners.

Taher competes in the 3000 m and 5000 m. Her personal bests are 11:04.2 for 3000 m (2013) and 17:32.71 for 5000 m (2016). She carried Chad’s flag at the 2016 Rio Olympics during the Parade of Nations, alongside Bachir Mahamat.

In Rio, she ran the 5000 m on August 16 in the second heat but did not finish. She says she misread the bell for the final lap and stopped with about 400 meters to go. She afterward spoke of giving her all and feeling tearful, hoping to set a new record in Rio.