Full list of Olympic marathon champions

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Eliud Kipchoge of Team Kenya
Picture by 2021 Getty Images
Athletics

The marathon has been contested at every edition of the Olympics since the first modern Games in Athens in 1896, with the women’s added to the programme at Los Angeles 1984. 

From Athens 1896 until Paris 2024, 42 gold medals have been distributed in the Olympic marathon event: 31 in the men's race and 11 in the women's.

Only three runners in history have won two marathon gold medals, with Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia (Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964), Waldemar Cierpinski from East Germany (Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980) and Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020) the only double Olympic champions.

Discover the full list of Olympic marathon winners below.

List of Olympic marathon champions

Men

  • 1896 - Spiridon Louis (GRE) - 2:58:50
  • 1900 - Michel Théato (LUX) - 2:59:45
  • 1904 - Thomas Hicks (USA) - 3:28:53
  • 1906 - William Sherring (CAN) - 2:51:23.6
  • 1908 - John Hayes (USA) - 2:55:18.4
  • 1912 - Kenneth McArthur (RSA) - 2:36:54.8
  • 1920 - Hannes Kolehmainen (FIN) - 2:32:35.8
  • 1924 - Albin Stenroos (FIN) - 2:41:22.6
  • 1928 - Boughera El Ouafi (FRA) - 2:32:57.0
  • 1932 - Juan Carlos Zabala (ARG) - 2:31:36.0
  • 1936 - Kee-Chung Sohn (JPN) - 2:29:19.2
  • 1948 - Delfo Cabrera (ARG) - 2:34:51.6
  • 1952 - Emil Zátopek (TCH) - 2:23:03.2
  • 1956 - Alain Mimoun (FRA) - 2:25:00.0
  • 1960 - Abebe Bikila (ETH) - 2:15:16.2
  • 1964 - Abebe Bikila (ETH) - 2:12:11.2
  • 1968 - Mamo Wolde (ETH) - 2:20:26.4
  • 1972 - Frank Shorter (USA) - 2:12:19.8
  • 1976 - Waldemar Cierpinski (GDR) - 2:09:55
  • 1980 - Waldemar Cierpinski (GDR) - 2:11:03
  • 1984 - Carlos Lopes (POR) - 2:09:21
  • 1988 - Gelindo Bordin (ITA) - 2:10:32
  • 1992 - Hwang Yeong-Jo (KOR) - 2:13:23
  • 1996 - Josia Thugwane (RSA) - 2:12:36
  • 2000 - Gezahegne Abera (ETH) - 2:10:11
  • 2004 - Stefano Baldini (ITA) - 2:10:55
  • 2008 - Samuel Kamau Wansiru (KEN) - 2:06.32
  • 2012 - Stephen Kiprotich (UGA) - 2:08:01
  • 2016 - Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) - 2:08:44
  • 2020 (in 2021) - Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) - 2:08:38
  • 2024 - Tamirat Tola (ETH) - 2:06:26

Women

  • 1984 - Joan Benoit (USA) - 2:24:52
  • 1988 - Rosa Mota (POR) - 2:25:40
  • 1992 - Valentina Yegorova (EUN) - 2:32:41
  • 1996 - Fatuma Roba (ETH) - 2:26.05
  • 2000 - Naoko Takahashi (JPN) - 2:23:14
  • 2004 - Mizuki Noguchi (JPN) - 2:26:20
  • 2008 - Constantina Tomescu (ROU) - 2:26.44
  • 2012 - Tiki Gelana (ETH) - 2:23:07
  • 2016 - Jemima Sumgong (KEN) - 2:24:04
  • 2020 (in 2021) - Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) - 2:27:20
  • 2024 - Sifan Hassan (NED) - 2:22:55