Sifan Hassan completes distance triple, winning women’s Olympic marathon
Hassan was the only athlete in the field who had already raced a total of 20 kilometres before Sunday’s marathon, but that did not seem to be a problem as she went on to win her third medal in Paris
Photo by:
Nick Iwanyshyn
On the final day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands made history in the women’s marathon, winning gold with a new Olympic record of 2:22:55. This is Hassan’s third medal at these Games, adding to the two bronze medals she won in the women’s 5,000m and 10,000m.
Hassan was the only athlete in the field who had already raced a total of 20 kilometres before Sunday’s marathon, but that did not seem to be a problem for the Dutch distance runner. Hassan quietly stayed at the back of the pack in the early stages of the race and even found herself trailing the lead group at the 29 km mark in the hills. However, she caught up with the field moments later and gracefully outkicked two-time Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri and world record holder Tigst Assefa in the final kilometre for Olympic glory.
Ethiopia’s Assefa ended up with the silver, three seconds behind Hassan in 2:22:58, while Kenya’s Obiri ran the fastest time of her career to claim bronze in 2:23:10. This was Obiri’s third Olympic medal, and her first in the marathon (she had previously won two silver medals in the women’s 5,000m). Peres Jepchirchir, the defending Olympic champion, finished 15th, in 2:26:51.
Hassan is not only the first female athlete to take on the difficult Olympic distance triple—5,000m, 10,000m and marathon—but also the first athlete to medal in all three events at a single Olympic Games.
Canada’s Malindi Elmore finishes 35th
Malindi Elmore of Kelowna, B.C., was the lone Canadian in the women’s marathon field; she finished 35th in 2:31:08 on a tough course.
“It was really hard–it was hard the whole time,” Elmore said about the Paris Olympic marathon course. “Some people are built to run up hills, and sadly, I’m not.”
Elmore was one of the few runners in the field who had previously run the course, but she said she was still shocked at how tough it was. “It was gruelling, but I am very proud of my effort,” Elmore said. “I did my best on the day, and that’s all I can ask for.”
The 44-year-old was the oldest runner in the field to finish the race; Australia’s Sinead Diver, 47, did not finish.
Top 10 results
- Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) 2:22:55 (Olympic record)
- Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia) 2:22:58
- Hellen Obiri (Kenya) 2:23:10 (PB)
- Sharon Lokedi (Kenya) 2:23:14 (PB)
- Amane Beriso (Ethiopia) 2:23:57
- Yuka Suzuki (Japan) 2:24:02 (PB)
- Delvine Meringor (Romania) 2:24:56
- Stella Chesang (Uganda) 2:26:01
- Lonah Salpeter (Israel) 2:26:08
- Eunice Chumba (Bahrain) 2:26:10
Athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are taking place from Aug. 1-11. Today’s coverage is brought to you by Canadian Running and ASICS Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.
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