At the Paris Games, Ethiopian runner, Tamirat Tola, emerged victorious in the men’s marathon, clinching gold for his country. In a shocking turn of events, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, who was pursuing a third successive Olympic title, did not finish the race. Runner-up, Bashir Abdi of Belgium bettered his previous bronze from Tokyo by securing the silver medal, while bronze was picked up by Kenya’s Benson Kipruto.
Tola took an early lead in the race, eventually crossing the finish line in an impressive two hours, six minutes and 26 seconds. This time set a new Olympic record, especially notable given that the course is recognised by World Athletics as the toughest in either Olympic or championship history.
Tola revealed that he found relief after the 41st kilometre, despite having to deal with the challenges of steep ascents and growing fatigue. Starting off in the group of early leaders, his prowess as a former cross-country competitor shone through as he carried on tirelessly while other runners started to lag behind.
By the 35km mark, Tola was leading by 18 seconds, a lead that he continued to maintain as the end neared and spectators along the route cheered him on. After a gap of 24 years, Tamirat Tola ended up being the first Ethiopian to secure gold in the Olympic men’s marathon.
Tola’s victory carried added value as he was not initially part of the team but was added after Sisay Lemma pulled out due to a hamstring injury. He had won the New York marathon the previous year, setting a course record, and is 32 years old. Tola expressed his gratitude to Lemma, attributing his victory in part to him and the opportunity provided due to his unfortunate injury.
Encouragement from Haile Gebrselassie, a previous 10,000m Olympic champion from Ethiopia, propelled him to reach the finish line. Having cited Gebrselassie as an inspiration for his marathon career, he felt energised by his support. Abdi, alongside Kipruto, competed fiercely with Ethiopian athlete Deresa Geleta for the podium positions. Nonetheless, Geleta’s performance declined in the final two kilometres.
“Today’s course was particularly challenging, hence I had to ensure I was not exerting too much energy. Focussing on running smartly, I am greatly satisfied with the outcome,” commented Abdi. He further described the excruciating conditions, highlighting the warm weather and the numerous challenging uphill and downhill segments.
Abdi, who previously participated in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres, completed in a time of 2:06:47 whereas Kipruto, aged 33, finished in 2:07:00. Kipruto had previously achieved the best time globally this year when he won the Tokyo Marathon in March, clocking in a personal record of 2:02:16. He dedicated his bronze medal to Kelvin Kiptum – the marathon world record holder from last year’s Chicago competition who tragically died in a car accident in February at the age of 24.
The first half of the course, which led athletes to Versailles, proved too much for Kipchoge, one of the leading contenders. Despite being renowned as the greatest marathon athlete in history, Kipchoge failed to claim a third consecutive gold – the ascent on the race course took a heavy toll on the 39-year-old marathoner in his fifth Olympic appearance.
Kipruto expressed his concern for Kipchoge, stating, “We were in the lead together at the beginning, interacting and maintaining our pace. The sudden change in his performance was shocking, so I will be checking up on him.”
Kenenisa Bekele from Ethiopia, who holds the fifth quickest marathon time in history, finished in the 39th position, expressing the arduousness of competing with the best in the field.
British competitor Emile Cairess delivered an impressive performance, securing the fourth position with a time of 2:07:29.
Initiating at the municipal building, the marathon route stretched over 42km, guiding athletes along the Seine’s embankment, passing historical landmarks such as the Louvre and Opera Garnier. The participants journeyed west to the Palace of Versailles, marking the 25km point, before turning back towards the urban area. The marathon concluded at the Invalides monument, famously housing Napoleon’s tomb, with a total of 71 individuals reaching the finish line, following the withdrawal of 10 participants.
The layout of the Paris marathon is a tribute to a significant protest during the French Revolution, where countless women demanded bread from the king at Versailles. On this occasion, the women’s marathon, traditionally taking place prior to the men’s, will be the closing event of the Olympic athletics segment, slated to commence on Sunday at 8am local time.