Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia on Saturday won the men’s marathon title at the 2024 Paris Games in an Olympic record of two hours six minutes 26 seconds.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the race was held in brutal heat and humidity over a course of hugely demanding hills.
Tola, who was called into the Ethiopian team as a late replacement, won ahead of Belgium’s Bashir Abdi who earned the silver medal in 2:06:47.
Kenya’s Benson Kipruto, fastest in the world this year after winning the Tokyo marathon in 2:02:16, marked his Olympic debut with the bronze in 2:07:00.
Kipruto’s 39-year-old compatriot Eliud Kipchoge who was seeking a third consecutive title however failed to finish the race.
Always in touch with the lead, Tola first took control of the race just after the 20 kilometres mark as the field came to the brow of the first long climb.
He overtook Italy’s Eyob Faniel, who had pushed ahead by 23 seconds at the 15km mark before the start of the grinding uphill stretch.(NAN)
