Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia early this morning (Saturday, August 10) won the men’s marathon title at the 2024 Paris Games in an Olympic record time 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.
