Mara Yamauchi is a British former elite marathon runner and former diplomat. She is the UK's second-fastest female marathon runner of all time, a two-time Olympian, Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, and London Marathon runner-up. Her sixth-place finish in the 2008 Beijing Olympics is the best performance ever by a British woman in the Olympic marathon. She grew up in Kenya and has lived and worked in Japan for nine years. She now lives in London and works as a writer, commentator, and coach.