Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tolawon won the gold medal in the Men’s Marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Saturday, August 10, while Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge fell short of achieving his dream of a third consecutive Olympic crown.
Tolawon’s victory etched his name in history as he became the first Ethiopian to win a gold medal in the Olympic men’s marathon in 24 years.
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Tolawon, who dashed into the lead early on, finished the race with a time of 2:06:26. Belgium’s Bashir Abdi claimed the silver medal with a time of 2:06:47, improving on his bronze from Tokyo. Kenya’s Benson Kipruto won the bronze medal with a time of 2:07:00.
Tolawon admitted he felt timid and faced difficulties climbing the hill but maintained his composure to reach the finish line.
“My intention was just to keep up with the leaders and then, after some point, I decided to push on my own,” Tolawon said, as reported by RTE. “But I was afraid and had difficulties when climbing uphill. I felt confident after the 41st kilometer, with only one more to go. Until then, I was looking back and unsure.”
Tolawon, 32, won the New York Marathon last year with a course record.
He crossed the finish line cheered on by Haile Gebrselassie, Ethiopia’s former double Olympic 10,000m champion, whom he has cited as one of his inspirations to become a marathon runner.
By Dotun Omisakin
