The marathon was introduced at the first modern Olympic Games as a long road race inspired by stories connected to Marathon and Athens. On April 10, 1896, Greece’s Spyridon Louis won, helping make the event a signature Olympic finale.
At the 1904 Games, the marathon was run in extreme heat with limited water, and officials struggled to manage a safe competition. The first finisher, Fred Lorz, was later disqualified for riding in a car, and Thomas Hicks was declared the winner—an episode that highlighted the need for clearer rules and better race organization.
The 1908 Olympic marathon in London established the famous distance of 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 km). The course length was adjusted so the start and finish would suit royal viewing locations, and the resulting measurement later became the standard for the sport.
By the 1924 Games, the 42.195 km distance was used again, reinforcing it as the practical standard for Olympic-level competition. This period helped shift the marathon from “about” a set length to a consistent race distance that could be compared across events and years.
On September 10, 1960, Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila won the Olympic marathon while running barefoot, becoming the first sub-Saharan African to win an Olympic gold medal. The victory broadened the marathon’s global identity and made the race a stage for new nations and athletes.
At the 1972 Olympic marathon, an unauthorized runner entered the stadium ahead of the real leader, briefly confusing spectators during the finish. Eventual champion Frank Shorter still won, but the incident became a reminder of how difficult crowd control and course security can be in road races.
On August 5, 1984, the Olympic Games held a women’s marathon for the first time. American Joan Benoit won the inaugural gold medal, marking a major expansion in Olympic athletics and establishing the women’s marathon as a permanent part of the program.
During the 2004 Olympic men’s marathon, Brazil’s Vanderlei de Lima was pushed off the road by a spectator while leading late in the race. He recovered to finish third as Italy’s Stefano Baldini won gold, and the incident renewed focus on athlete protection and course security.
On August 21, 2016, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge won Olympic gold in the men’s marathon in Rio de Janeiro. His victory reflected a period of strong East African dominance in distance running and elevated his status as one of the era’s defining marathon athletes.
For the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (held in 2021), the marathon events were relocated from Tokyo to Sapporo to reduce heat risk. The women’s marathon on August 7, 2021 illustrates how climate and athlete welfare increasingly shape Olympic marathon planning.
On August 10, 2024, Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola won the Olympic men’s marathon in Paris with an Olympic-record time of 2:06:26. The result showed how much elite marathon performances have improved since the event’s early years, even on a challenging modern course.
On August 11, 2024, the women’s marathon in Paris was staged as the final athletics event, aligning with a broader push for gender parity in Olympic scheduling. The Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan won gold in an Olympic-record 2:22:55, ending the Games with a high-profile women’s road race.
Marathon at the Olympic Games (1896–present)