Jessica Stenson

Jessica Stenson (née Trengove; born 15 August 1987) is an Australian athlete who won the gold medal in the Marathon at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and currently holds the Australian Marathon Record of 2:21:24. As a long-distance runner, she competes in distances from 5000 metres up to the Marathon. She has represented Australia at 3 Olympic games, 2012 London Olympics, 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, 2024 Paris Olympics in the Marathon.

Background Jess Stenson was born on 15 August 1987 in Naracoorte, South Australia. She attended Naracoorte Primary School before going to Naracoorte High School and boarding school at Annesley College, She also played basketball, competing in the South Australia 12–19 State Country U18s. , she lives in Adelaide

Stenson is an ambassador for The Little Heroes Foundation, Jodi Lee Foundation and lululemon.

Stenson is tall and weighs . In 2000, she was selected for the South Australia representative cross country team. where she set an Olympic A qualifying time of 2 hours, 31 minutes. In 2012, her training regime included running up to a week. She was the third South Australian athletics competitor to qualify for the Games, She finished the Olympic marathon in 39th place with a time of 2:31:17, 8 minutes and 10 seconds behind the first-place finisher Tiki Gelana. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, she won the bronze medal, running a then personal best of 2:30:12. She came 13th in the same event at the 2024 Paris Olympics in a time of 2:26:45. She finished ninth in the 2017 IAAF World Championships marathon in a time of 2:28:59. This was the best performance by an Australian woman in a World Championship Marathon.

Personal bests As of April 2026, 24th, 1:14:21, IAAF / SINOPEC World Half Marathon Championships, Nanning, 16 October 2010

Recognition

2016 - People's Choice Award at the Advertiser/Channel 7 Sport Star of the Year awards. October 2022 - Awarded the Australian Sports Medal for her achievements at the Commonwealth Games. 2022 - Australian Institute of Sport Female Athlete of The Year