Photo: NRJ / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Zola Budd was born on May 26, 1966 in Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa and is credited as a middle-distance runner, marathon runner and ultramarathon runner. Zola Budd is 60 years old as of 2026. The listed height is 164 cm.
My Take
Zola Budd is one of those names that carries a whole era with it. To me she's inseparable from that barefoot stride and the world records she set in the 5000 metres in the mid-1980s, plus back-to-back World Cross Country titles in 1985 and 1986. What I find genuinely unusual is that she ran the 3000 metres at two Olympics under two different flags, Great Britain in 1984 and South Africa in 1992. That detail alone tells you her career sat right on the fault lines of sport and politics. I respect that she kept running long after the spotlight moved on, into marathons and ultras.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Zola Budd
- Name (Japanese)
- ゾーラ・バッド
- Reading
- ぞーら・ばっど
- Born
- May 26, 1966 (age 60)
- Origin
- Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa
- Height
- 164 cm
- Occupation
- middle-distance runner / marathon runner / ultramarathon runner
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Horse
2. Links
3. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Zola Budd born?
Zola Budd was born on May 26, 1966 and is 60 years old.
Where is Zola Budd from?
Zola Budd is from Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa.
What does Zola Budd do?
Zola Budd works as middle-distance runner, marathon runner, ultramarathon runner.
How tall is Zola Budd?
Zola Budd is 164 cm tall.
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