sˈɛvɹəl mˈɛn ænd wˈɪmɪn wɜː tʃˈæmpiənz ɪn æθlˈɛɾɪks ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti z ɪŋklˈuːdɪŋ nˈɜːɹɪdˌiːn mˈɔːɹsɛli, hæsˈiːbə bˈaʊlmɚkə, nˈɜːɹiə mˈɛɹəbᵻnˈɪdə, ænd tˈaʊjuːfˌɪk mˈækɬuːfi, ˈɔːl spˈɛʃəlˌaɪzd ɪn mˈɪdəldˈɪstəns ɹˈʌnɪŋ.
Several men and women were champions in athletics in the 1990s including Noureddine Morceli, Hassiba Boulmerka, Nouria Merah-Benida, and Taoufik Makhloufi, all specialized in middle-distance running.