Jaouad Gharib
 Gharib at the 2005 London Marathon |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  Morocco
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| Olympic Games | ||
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2008 Beijing | Marathon |
| World Championships | ||
 |
2003 Paris | Marathon |
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2005 Helsinki | Marathon |
| Mediterranean Games | ||
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2001 Radès | 10,000 m |
Jaouad Gharib (Arabic: جواد غريب) (born 22 May 1972 in Khenifra, Morocco) is a Moroccan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon. Winner of the 2003 World Championships and 2005 World Championships over the distance, he is also notable because he only began running seriously at the age of twenty-two. His 2005 retention made him one of only two successive world championship marathon champions, after Abel Antón. He was the silver medallist in the marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Jaouad Gharib was born in Khenifra, Middle Atlas to Berber parents but he became an orphan. His favourite sport as a child was football and it was not until 1992, when he watched the Marrakech Marathon live on television, that he began to take an interest in athletics. His talent for long-distance running quickly became apparent as he won races for the Moroccan Royal Guard as well as other national level competitions. Gharib made his first international competitions in 2001, taking ninth at the 2001 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and eleventh in the 10,000 metres at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. He won the gold medal on the track at the 2001 Mediterranean Games. Former athletes Aziz Daouda and Brahim Boutayeb convinced Gharib to focus on longer road events, sensing his potential for further distances.
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