| NDEREBA | Catherine, winner of the 2001 Chicago women's marathon (7) |
| NAIPAUL | V S ___, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Literature (7) |
| SPUTNIK | Subject of the 2001 book subtitled "The Shock of the Century" |
| NOGUCHI | Mizuki ___, Japanese runner who won the women's marathon at the 2004 Olympics |
| KUBRICK | Stanley -; co-writer with Arthur C. Clarke of the 2001: A Space Odyssey screenplay (7) |
| ALLSTAR | Song by American band Smash Mouth, featured in the opening credits of the 2001 film Shrek (3,4) |
| MARENGHI | Garth ?, comedy character co-created and played by Matthew Holness, winner of the 2001 Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (8) |
| DOKIC | Jelena, winner of the 2001 Italian Open women's singles tennis title (5) |
| IVANISEVIC | Goran, winner of the 2001 Wimbledon men's singles title (10) |
| BURNS | Richard ....., winner of the 2001 World Rally Championship (5) |
| CAREY | Peter, winner of the 2001 Booker Prize (5) |
| TOMS | David, winner of the 2001 USPGA golf tournament (4) |
| DAVIDTOMS | Winner of the 2001 USPGA golf tournament (5,4) |
| PARMA | Italian football club, winners of the 2001-02 Coppa Italia (5) |
| ENIGMA | What is the title of the 2001 film about the Second World War codebreakers of Bletchley Park? (6) |
| MYA | One of the four singers of the 2001 #1 hit "Lady Marmalade" |
| ETH | Home country of the 2012 Olympic women's marathon winner: Abbr. |
| ALEMU | Elfenesh ___, winner of the 2003 Tokyo International Women's Marathon (5) |
| LEADINGLADIES | Front runners in the women's marathon or the stage version (7,6) |
| EMO | Genre of the 2001 album The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most |