Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon

The men's marathon at the 2024 Summer Olympics was held in Paris, France, on 10 August 2024. This was the 30th time that the men's marathon was contested at the Summer Olympics.

Men's marathon
at the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad
Tamirat Tola at kilometre 29.
VenueParis[1]
Date
  • 10 August 2024
Winning time2:06:26 OR
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Tamirat Tola  Ethiopia
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Bashir Abdi  Belgium
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Benson Kipruto  Kenya
← 2020
2028 →
Official Video

Summary

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All three medalists in Tokyo returned: 2016 and 2020 gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya, 2020 silver medalist Abdi Nageeye from the Netherlands, and 2020 bronze medalist Bashir Abdi from Belgium. Kipchoge, the champion of the past two Olympic marathons, sought to make history with a victory in Paris becoming the first athlete to win three Olympic gold medals in the marathon.[2] 2022 World Championship gold medalist Tamirat Tola, who also took silver back in 2017 and a track 10,000 bronze medal from 2016, came here as the alternate filling the shoes of injured Sisay Lemma. Abdi was also bronze medalist in 2022. 2023 World Champion Victor Kiplangat and silver medalist Maru Teferi are also entered. One athlete, Yaseen Abdalla, made his marathon debut after gaining entry through a universality spot.[3] The marathon world record holder, Kelvin Kiptum, was killed in a car accident in February 2024.

For most of the first 5K, nearly 43 year old Bat-Ochiryn Ser-Od run in front of the pack. For most of the next 5K, Héctor Garibay migrated to the front barely ahead of a large pack. Around 12K Eyob Faniel made the first significant break, dropping the pace down to 3:00 per kilometre while the field was going closer to 3:07. Faniel had 23 seconds over the field at 15K but the first series of hills had already begun. The hills broke apart the large pack, the lead "chase group" included Tamirat Tola, Bashir Abdi, Conner Mantz, Alphonce Simbu, Akira Akasaki, Elroy Gelant, Suguru Osako, with Deresa Geleta and Clayton Young hanging on the back. Faniel was slowing on the hills, with the chasers only 11 seconds behind at 20K. Tola would decide to accelerate on his own to bridge the gap. Still running uphill, a gap had opened up behind Tola, causing Mantz to take off to regain contact, with the two catching Faniel just over half a kilometer later. The three crossed the half marathon mark in 1:04:51. Geleta was next, 7 seconds back. With the easy downhill section, it took the lead chase group a little over 2K to catch back up to the leaders. By 25K, the lead pack had again congealed into 15 runners, Akasaki slightly in the lead. Faniel was no longer with the leaders, the next straggler behind. Just before 28K, the hills began again. Akasaki continued to lead for the first hill, but then Tola went by him and continued to open up a gap. Behind him, the lead pack was disintegrating. By the 29K marker, it was a 7 second gap back to Emile Cairess, the next chaser. After a water station near the top of the hill, Tola started the downhill, passing 30K 11 seconds ahead of Cairess. Geleta, Abdi and Akasaki were the next over the top. With the steep descent, the order shifted again. Geleta passed Cairess. Akasaki passed Abdi. Then Simbu, roaring down the hill, passed all of them. Geleta then responded and moved back ahead of Simbu. By the time they reached the bottom of the hill near 33K, Tola was maintaining a 13 second gap. The group behind him were tightening up. Tebello Ramakongoana and Benson Kipruto ran fastest of all down the hill to latch onto the chase group. With 5K remaining, Geleta, Abdi and Kipruto broke into a chase group separating from the next chaser, Akasaki. Tola's lead was out to 27 seconds. Seconds later, Kipruto looked around at the situation and suddenly was losing contact. With a kilometre to go, Abdi brought the gap down to 17 seconds. Tola finished with the time 2:06:26 and setting a new Olympic record. 21 seconds later, Abdi finished for silver 13 seconds ahead of Kipruto. Japan was the first country to get three across the finish line, ahead of Ethiopia and Italy.[4]

Background

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The men's marathon has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since the inaugural edition in 1896, making this the 30th appearance of the event.

Course

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The marathon course began at the Hôtel de Ville and traversed many of the host city's most iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre before concluding at Les Invalides. Paris officials have stated the route has taken inspiration from the Women's March on Versailles. Due to the elevation profile, the course has been discussed as one of the more challenging Olympic marathons. Notably, for the first time in Olympic history, the public had the opportunity to run the marathon course. Following the Olympic marathon, up to 40,000 runners will be able to participate in a public marathon or a 10k race.[5]

Records

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Prior to this competition, the existing world, Olympic, and area records were as follows.[6]

Global records before the 2024 Summer Olympics
Record Athlete (Nation) Time Location Date
World record   Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) 2:00:35[7] Chicago, United States 8 October 2023
Olympic record   Samuel Wanjiru (KEN) 2:06:32 Beijing, China 24 August 2008
World leading   Benson Kipruto (KEN) 2:02:16[8] Tokyo, Japan 3 March 2024
Area records before the 2024 Summer Olympics[9]
Africa (records)   Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) 2:00:35 WR
Asia (records)   El Hassan El Abbassi (BHR) 2:04:43
Europe (records)   Bashir Abdi (BEL) 2:03:36
North, Central America
and Caribbean
(records)
  Cameron Levins (CAN) 2:05:36
Oceania (records)   Brett Robinson (AUS) 2:07:31
South America (records)   Daniel do Nascimento (BRA) 2:04:51

Qualification

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In order to comply with the 80-athlete capacity imposed by the IOC, World Athletics debuted a new qualification system ahead of the Paris games. Each country is eligible to send three athletes to compete in the marathon; however, each spot must be "unlocked" in one of three ways between 6 November 2022 to 30 April 2024. To unlock guaranteed spots for their country, athletes must run under a 2:08:10 in an eligible race within the time period. Athletes may also unlock a spot for their country by placing top five at a World Athletics platinum-level race or by reaching a high-enough World Athletics rankings. The world rankings were used to fill any entries not allocated to time-unlocked spots. Once spots have been unlocked for a country, the National Olympic Federation can select athletes to fill their spots as they see fit. While any athlete can be assigned to an unlocked spot, they must have run at least the Quota Reallocation Time of 2:11:30.[10][11]

National Olympic Federations could also use a universality spot in the marathon. Any country with no qualified athlete was be allowed to enter their best-ranked runner in the marathon regardless of qualification standards.[12]

The qualification period for the 2024 Olympic Marathon ended on 30 April 2024 and exceeded the 80-athlete target by one entry.[13]

Qualification standard No. of athletes NOC Nominated athletes
Entry standard – 2:08:10 3   Belgium Bashir Abdi
Koen Naert
Michael Somers
3   China He Jie
Wu Xiangdong [zh]
Yang Shaohui
3   Eritrea Samsom Amare
Berhane Tesfay
Kibrom Weldemicael
3   Ethiopia Kenenisa Bekele
Deresa Geleta
Sisay Lemma
3   France Morhad Amdouni
Felix Bour
Nicolas Navarro
3   Germany Samuel Fitwi
Amanal Petros
Richard Ringer
3   Great Britain Emile Cairess
Mahamed Mahamed
Philip Sesemann
3   Israel Maru Teferi
Gashau Ayale
Girmaw Amare
3   Italy Yemaneberhan Crippa
Eyob Faniel
Daniele Meucci
3   Kenya Eliud Kipchoge
Benson Kipruto
Alexander Mutiso
3   Morocco Othmane El Goumri
Mohcin Outalha
Zouhair Talbi
3   Spain Ibrahim Chakir
Tariku Novales
Yago Rojo
3   Uganda Victor Kiplangat
Stephen Kissa
Andrew Rotich Kwemoi
2   Australia Brett Robinson
Patrick Tiernan
2   Canada Cameron Levins
Rory Linkletter
2   Japan Naoki Koyama
Suguru Osako
2   Netherlands Khalid Choukoud
Abdi Nageeye
2   Norway Zerei Kbrom Mezngi
Sondre Nordstad Moen
2   Switzerland Tadesse Abraham
Matthias Kyburz
2   Tanzania Gabriel Geay
Alphonce Simbu
2   United States Conner Mantz
Clayton Young
0   Bahrain Marius Kimutai [a]
1   Bolivia Héctor Garibay
0   Brazil Daniel Ferreira do Nascimento [b]
1   Chile Carlos Díaz
1   Djibouti Bouh Ibrahim
1   Guatemala Alberto González Mindez
1   Lesotho Tebello Ramakongoana
1   Peru Cristhian Pacheco
1   Portugal Samuel Barata
1   South Africa Stephen Mokoka
1   Sweden Suldan Hassan
1   Turkey Kaan Kigen Özbilen
1   Uzbekistan Shokhrukh Davlatov
1   Zimbabwe Isaac Mpofu
World Athletics Rankings 1   Australia Liam Adams
1   Chile Hugo Catrileo
1   Japan Akira Akasaki
1   South Africa Elroy Gelant
1   United States Leonard Korir
Universality Places 1   Cape Verde Samuel Freire
1   Chad Valentin Betoudji
1   Jordan Mo'ath Alkhawaldeh
1   Mongolia Bat-Ochiryn Ser-Od
1   North Korea Han Il-ryong
1   North Macedonia Dario Ivanovski
1   Sudan Yaseen Abdalla
1   Virgin Islands Eduardo Garcia
Invitational places 1   Refugee Olympic Team Tachlowini Gabriyesos
Total 81

Results

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The event was held on 10 August, starting at 08:00 (UTC+2) in the morning.[1]


Rank Athlete Nation Time Time Behind Notes
  Tamirat Tola   Ethiopia 2:06:26 OR
  Bashir Abdi   Belgium 2:06:47 +0:21 SB
  Benson Kipruto   Kenya 2:07:00 +0:34
4 Emile Cairess   Great Britain 2:07:29 +1:03
5 Deresa Geleta   Ethiopia 2:07:31 +1:05
6 Akira Akasaki   Japan 2:07:32 +1:06 PB
7 Tebello Ramakongoana   Lesotho 2:07:58 +1:32 NR
8 Conner Mantz   United States 2:08:12 +1:46 SB
9 Clayton Young   United States 2:08:44 +2:18 SB
10 Samsom Amare   Eritrea 2:08:56 +2:30 SB
11 Elroy Gelant   South Africa 2:09:07 +2:41
12 Richard Ringer   Germany 2:09:18 +2:52 SB
13 Suguru Osako   Japan 2:09:25 +2:59 SB
14 Bouh Ibrahim   Djibouti 2:09:31 +3:05 SB
15 Samuel Fitwi Sibhatu   Germany 2:09:50 +3:24
16 Nicolas Navarro   France 2:09:56 +3:30 SB
17 Alphonce Simbu   Tanzania 2:10:03 +3:37
18 Othmane El Goumri   Morocco 2:10:06 +3:40
19 Isaac Mpofu   Zimbabwe 2:10:09 +3:43 SB
20 Hassan Chahdi   France 2:10:09 +3:43
21 Alexander Mutiso Munyao   Kenya 2:10:31 +4:05
22 Michael Somers   Belgium 2:10:32 +4:06
23 Naoki Koyama [ja]   Japan 2:10:33 +4:07
24 Patrick Tiernan   Australia 2:10:34 +4:08
25 Yemaneberhan Crippa   Italy 2:10:36 +4:10
26 Maru Teferi   Israel 2:10:42 +4:16 SB
27 Stephen Mokoka   South Africa 2:10:59 +4:33
28 Suldan Hassan   Sweden 2:11:21 +4:55
29 Han Il-ryong   North Korea 2:11:21 +4:55
30 Matthias Kyburz   Switzerland 2:11:32 +5:06
31 Gashau Ayale   Israel 2:11:36 +5:10
32 Sondre Nordstad Moen   Norway 2:11:39 +5:13 SB
33 Yaseen Abdalla   Sudan 2:11:41 +5:15 NR
34 Ibrahim Chakir   Spain 2:11:44 +5:18
35 Zouhair Talbi   Morocco 2:11:51 +5:25
36 Cameron Levins   Canada 2:11:56 +5:30 SB
37 Victor Kiplangat   Uganda 2:11:59 +5:33
38 Tadesse Abraham   Switzerland 2:12:22 +5:56
39 Kenenisa Bekele   Ethiopia 2:12:24 +5:58
40 Wu Xiangdong [zh]   China 2:12:34 +6:08
41 Yago Rojo   Spain 2:12:43 +6:17 SB
42 Tachlowini Gabriyesos   Refugee Olympic Team 2:12:47 +6:21
43 Eyob Faniel   Italy 2:12:50 +6:24
44 Girmaw Amare   Israel 2:12:51 +6:25 SB
45 Andrew Buchanan   Australia 2:12:58 +6:32
46 Philip Sesemann   Great Britain 2:13:08 +6:42
47 Rory Linkletter   Canada 2:13:09 +6:43
48 Samuel Barata   Portugal 2:13:23 +6:57 SB
49 Liam Adams   Australia 2:13:33 +7:07 SB
50 Felix Bour   France 2:13:46 +7:20 SB
51 Daniele Meucci   Italy 2:14:02 +7:36
52 Zerei Kbrom Mezngi   Norway 2:14:14 +7:48 SB
53 Carlos Díaz   Chile 2:14:25 +7:59
54 Henok Tesfay   Eritrea 2:14:31 +8:05
55 Yang Shaohui   China 2:14:48 +8:22
56 Samuel Freire   Cape Verde 2:15:05 +8:39
57 Mahamed Mahamed   Great Britain 2:15:19 +8:53
58 Khalid Choukoud   Netherlands 2:15:25 +8:59 SB
59 Hugo Catrileo   Chile 2:15:44 +9:18
60 Héctor Garibay   Bolivia 2:15:54 +9:28 SB
61 Koen Naert   Belgium 2:16:33 +10:07 SB
62 Andrew Rotich Kwemoi   Uganda 2:17:28 +11:02
63 Leonard Korir   United States 2:18:45 +12:19
64 Berhane Tesfay   Eritrea 2:18:50 +12:24
65 Mo'ath Alkhawaldeh   Jordan 2:20:01 +13:35 SB
66 Alberto González Mindez [de]   Guatemala 2:22:12 +15:46 SB
67 He Jie   China 2:22:31 +16:05
68 Tariku Novales   Spain 2:25:50 +19:24 SB
69 Dario Ivanovski   North Macedonia 2:28:15 +21:49
70 Valentin Betoudji   Chad 2:32:11 +25:45
71 Bat-Ochiryn Ser-Od   Mongolia 2:42:33 +36:07
Abdi Nageeye   Netherlands 40 km DNF
Mohcin Outalha   Morocco 35 km DNF
Gabriel Gerald Geay   Tanzania 30 km DNF
Eliud Kipchoge   Kenya 30 km DNF
Shokhrukh Davlatov   Uzbekistan 30 km DNF
Amanal Petros   Germany 30 km DNF
Stephen Kissa   Uganda 25 km DNF
Kaan Kigen Özbilen   Turkey Half DNF
Cristhian Pacheco   Peru 15 km DNF
Eduardo Garcia   Virgin Islands 5 km DNF

Notes

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  1. ^ Currently serving a 3-year ban for a positive doping result. Quota place can be reallocated to another athlete by the NOC, provided that the athlete has achieved a time of at least 2:11:30 during the qualification period.
  2. ^ Currently provisionally suspended for a doping adverse result. Quota place can be reallocated to another athlete by the NOC, provided that the athlete has achieved a time of at least 2:11:30 during the qualification period.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Paris 2024 - Olympic Schedule - Athletics", Olympics.com. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Kenyan Kipchoge ready to make history at Paris Olympics". Africanews. 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  3. ^ Kelsall, Christopher (2024-05-09). "World Athletics adds 20 universality spots to Paris Marathon". Athletics Illustrated. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  4. ^ https://olympics.com/OG2024/pdf/OG2024/ATH/OG2024_ATH_C77V_ATHMMARATHON----------FNL-000100--.pdf
  5. ^ "Paris 2024 reveals routes for Olympic marathon and mass event run | News | Paris 24 | Olympic Games". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  6. ^ "Stats | World Athletics | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  7. ^ "All time Top lists – Senior – Marathon men", World Athletics, 29 June 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Season Top Lists – Senior 2024 – Marathon men Archived 5 June 2024 at the Wayback Machine", World Athletics, 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  9. ^ "Records 100 Metres Men". World Athletics. 3 July 2024. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  10. ^ "U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials: All you need to know about qualifying | NBC Olympics". www.nbcolympics.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  11. ^ "Why the U.S. Might Have Only Two Men in the Olympic Marathon". Runner's World. 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  12. ^ Kelsall, Christopher (2024-05-09). "World Athletics adds 20 universality spots to Paris Marathon". Athletics Illustrated. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  13. ^ "Athletic Entries- Men's Marathon". Paris 2024. 23 July 2024.