Super Sifan Hassan Runs Olympic Record To Become Olympic Marathon Champion, Winning Third Medal Of The Games

Sifan Hassan ran a new Olympic record of 2:22:55 to win the women’s Olympic marathon in Paris, crowning a remarkable Games for the Dutch athlete. Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa finished second and Kenya’s Hellen Obiri was third.

In becoming Olympic marathon champion Hassan achieved what many believed was improbable, and perhaps even impossible: winning medals in three long-distance events at the same Olympic Games.

After bronze in the 5000m on Monday, then bronze again in the 10,000m on Friday night, she was back on the start line just 36 hours later to contest the marathon. It’s an unprecedented and unrivalled display of endurance, and in the end, it was her track speed which took her to a stunning win.

***

There were five women racing with 5km to go. A very close pack of some of the very best marathoners and track runners of all time. Hassan, Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso Shankule and Assefa, the Kenyans Sharon Lokedi and Obiri. Between them the first, second and fifth fastest marathon runners ever. The marathon world champion. Winners of London, Boston, Berlin, Chicago and New York City Marathons.

They were five of 92 women from 47 countries who started the marathon just over two hours earlier in a race which was steady throughout, as the first flat section of the course headed away from the centre of Paris towards the Palace of Versailles. Around 20 women reached halfway as a lead pack in 1:13.

But with the hilliest section of the course still to come, and a fast run back into the centre of Paris, the pack gradually reduced until there were just five of the pre-race favourites remaining in contention.

Shankule was the first to drop back, with one mile to go.

The final four ran side by side with one kilometre to go, before Lokedi and then Obiri were left behind, and the two fastest marathon runners of all time, Assefa and Hassan, ran to a thrilling sprint finish.

After clashing shoulders when Hassan tried to move into the best race position, it was the Dutch athlete who started her sprint earlier, and was able to hold it for longer, to win in a stunning fast finish after her incredible week of racing.

Obiri and Lokedi finished in third and fourth after both running new personal bests. The top four were all within 19 seconds of each other, and it was a big negative split from the 1:13 halfway time.

This is the second successive Olympics that Hassan has won three medals. In Tokyo she won gold in the 5000m and 10,000m and bronze in the 1500m, and between there and Paris she won both the London and Chicago Marathons in 2023. Her time of 2:13:44 in Chicago is the second-fastest women’s marathon ever.

The Paris 2024 Olympics will be remembered for many incredible performances, but Sifan Hassan winning three long distance medals, including her gold and Olympic record in the marathon, will forever be known as one of the great achievements in Olympic history.