These runners have competed at the Olympics at least 12 years apart:
Paul Martin
1920 until 1936
Gaston Roelants
1960 until 1972
Willie Davenport
1964 until 1976 (boykott 1980, competed in the winter olympics)
Irena Szewinska
1964 until 1980
individual medals in 1964 and 1976 (gold)
Emiel Puttemans
1968 until 1980
Grete Waitz
1972 until 1988 (boykott 1980)
Francie Larrieu-Smith
1972 until 1992 (boykott 1980, not qualified 1984)
Pietro Mennea
1972 until 1988
Edwin Moses
1976 until 1988 (boykott 1980)
individual medals in 1976 (gold) and 1988
Merlene Ottey
1980 until 2004
individual medals in 1980 and 2000
Carlos Sala
1980 until 1996
Johnny Gray
1984 until 1996
Carl Lewis (boykott 1980, just relay and LJ in 1992, just LJ in 1996))
1984 until 1996
Pauline Davis-Thompson
1984 until 2000
Mathias Ntawulikura
1988 until 2004
João N'Tyamba
1988 until 2008
Gail Devers
1988 until 2004
Glenroy Gilbert
1988 until 2000 (1988 just LJ, 1992 and 2000 just relay)
Mary Onyali
1988 until 2004
Fernanda Ribeiro
1988 until 2004
Sandie Richards
1988 until 2004 (2004 just relay)
Letitia Vriesde
1988 until 2004
Branko Zorko
1988 until 2004
Maria Mutola
1988 until 2008
fifth in 1992 and in 2008
Haile Gebrselaisse
1996 until 2008
Antoni Bernadó
1996 until 2012
Bernard Lagat
2000 until 2012 (qualified for 2016)