Marathon, Men

Tamirat Tola was not chosen for Ethiopia’s marathon team for Paris 2024 and was able to run only after the withdrawal of Sisay Lemma to an injury. Tola had excellent credentials, however, winning the 2022 World Championships, and major city marathons at Amsterdam in 2021 and New York in 2023.

The course was exceptionally hilly, especially a section from 16-33 km, with several steep climbs and descents, reaching an average 10% uphill grade at the famous “Côte du Pavé des Gardes”. Most pre-race attention focused on Eliud Kipchoge (KEN), gold medalist in 2016 and 2020, and the consensus greatest ever marathoner; and Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, gold medalist at 10,000 in 2004-2008, who had also won the 5,000 in 2008.

Japan’s Akira Akasaki led a pack of 15 runners into the hilly sections at a steady pace, but as the difficult grades started, Tola moved out to a 10-metre lead. He then opened that lead to 30 metres over the steepest climb. Behind the leaders, Bekele was struggling and he would eventually finish 39th, while Kipchoge dropped out, his first ever DNF in a marathon.

Tola protected his lead on the steep descents, as Belgian Bashir Abdi gave chase but never really closed on Tola. Tola would win gold in an Olympic record 2-06:26, giving him a 21-second margin over Abdi. Behind Abdi, Benson Kipruto (KEN), who had won major marathons in Boston, Chicago, and Tokyo in the last three years, closed fastest to take the bronze medal.