PARIS 2024: Eliud Kipchoge and Peres Jepchirchir aim to defend Olympic marathon titles

Even a silver or bronze would be historic, as no athlete has ever won three Olympic marathon medals. However, a gold medal would be the perfect swansong for arguably the greatest marathoner ever. A medal of any colour in Paris would make Kipchoge Kenya’s most decorated Olympian. Currently, he is tied with the legendary Kipchoge Keino and the exceptional Vivian Cheruiyot, each with four Olympic medals. A fifth medal would place Kipchoge in a class of his own.

Despite being a pre-race favourite, Kipchoge’s recent form raises questions about his chances in Paris. His performance at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon on March 3 was far from ideal preparation for the Paris Olympics. He finished 10th with a time of 2:06:50, over four minutes behind the winner, his compatriot Benson Kipruto, who clocked 2:02:16. Kipruto, who has also won the Chicago Marathon (2022) and the Boston Marathon (2021), is seen as a strong contender to dethrone Kipchoge in Paris.

Another favourite is Alexander Mutiso Munyao, who won the 2024 London Marathon with a time of 2:04:01. At 37 years old, some suggest age is catching up with Kipchoge, especially after his poor performance in Tokyo. However, this claim can be disputed, as recent races have shown that age does not necessarily hinder performance in marathons.

Other strong competitors include 2019 Berlin Marathon champion Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia. At 41, Bekele set a new record for the fastest marathon time by a 40-year-old, finishing second at the 2024 London Marathon with a time of 2:04:15. Bekele’s return to the Olympics since his fourth-place finish in the 10,000 metres at London 2012 sees his rivalry with Kipchoge come full circle. Their rivalry began in Paris 21 years ago when Kipchoge won gold in the 5,000 metres at the 2003 IAAF Athletics Championships.

Bekele's compatriots, Deresa Geleta and Tamirat Tola, will also compete, hoping to win Ethiopia's first Olympic marathon gold since Gezahegne Abera's victory in Sydney 2000. Geleta set a new course record at this year’s Seville Marathon with a time of 2:03:57, while Tola is the reigning New York Marathon champion.

The men’s marathon at the Olympic Games has been dominated by East African athletes since Samuel Wanjiru won gold for Kenya with a record time of 2:06:32 at Beijing 2008. Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda won in London 2012 before Kipchoge's victories in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. This year’s race will be tinged with sadness due to the absence of world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, who died in a road accident in February 2024. His anticipated clash with Kipchoge would have been a highlight, as Kiptum was the first man to run a marathon under 2:01, clocking 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

Fifth Olympics for @EliudKipchoge 🇰🇪, let's do this! 🙌

Athens 2004 🥉 (5000m)
Beijing 2008 🥈 (5000m)
Rio 2016 🥇 (marathon)
Tokyo 2020 🥇 (marathon)@Paris2024 ❓ (marathon)#NNRunningTeam #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/lWMgukv9ZY

— NN Running Team (@NNRunningTeam) August 8, 2024

Other athletes to watch include Uganda’s Victor Kiplangat, who won gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, and Tokyo 2020 silver and bronze medalists Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands and Bashir Abdi of Belgium.

The men’s marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games will take place on Saturday 10 August, starting at 9AM EAT. Despite the intriguing storylines surrounding the men’s race, the women’s marathon promises to be even more entertaining and competitive.

Women's Marathon

The women’s marathon has been part of the Olympics since Los Angeles 1984, and this year’s race is filled with star power, making it the most difficult to predict. Kenya will be represented by the reigning Olympic champion, Peres Jepchirchir, who won the 2024 London Marathon, beating world record holder Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia. Jepchirchir’s compatriots, Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi, will also compete. Obiri has transitioned from track to marathon, winning the New York Marathon and back-to-back victories in the Boston Marathon. Lokedi, a dark horse, finished second in this year’s Boston Marathon and third in the New York Marathon.

The countdown is on!⏳
Just 3️⃣ days until Paris transforms into the ultimate stage for the world's best athletes!🏅

Team Kenya 🇰🇪 to Paris Olympics.
Marathon
Men

1.Eliud Kipchoge
2.Benson Kipruto
3.Alex Mutiso

Women

1. Peres Jepchirchir
2. ⁠Hellen Obiri
3. Sharon Lokedi pic.twitter.com/i5fywvNNMl

— Sam Rono (@Giggzrono) July 23, 2024

Ethiopia will field a formidable team including Assefa, Amane Beriso, and Megertu Alemu. Assefa set a new world record of 2:11:53 at the 2023 Berlin Marathon, while Beriso is the current world champion. Alemu finished second at last year’s London Marathon, following her third-place finish in 2022.

Beyond the Kenyan and Ethiopian teams, the Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan will be a contender. Hassan, who will also compete in the women’s 5,000 and 10,000 metres, aims for an unprecedented treble. She won the 2023 London Marathon on her debut with a time of 2:18:33 and followed it with a victory in the Chicago Marathon, finishing in 2:13:44, the second fastest time in women's marathon history.

Despite finishing fourth in her last marathon with a time of 2:18:05 at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon, Hassan remains a strong contender. The women's marathon will take place on Sunday 11 August from 9AM EAT. If Jepchirchir defends her title, she would be the first woman to win two Olympic marathons, and Kenya would become the only country to produce three consecutive gold medalists in the event. With Lokedi and Obiri also in fine form, the chances of this happening are high. Regardless of the outcome, the winner will have beaten the best to take home the gold medal.