What we learned: Marathon highlights from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Find your top moments, replays of two golden runs, and more from marathon competitions in 2021 here, plus look forward to Paris 2024.

5 min

Athletics

(2021 Getty Images)

The marathon races at Tokyo 2020, in 2021 saw confirmed three important details about long distance running:

The first, that Eliud Kipchoge has achieved legendary status in athletics.

The second, Peres Jepchirchir is the real deal.

The third, Kenya remains a marathon runner producing powerhouse.

Outside of the particulars of who prevailed and how, the men’s marathon race also showed us that even in the most gruelling of conditions and under the most intense physical pressures the Olympic spirit shines, while the women's race reminded us that sometimes marathons can also deliver surprises.

Read on for the top marathon moments, highlights, and where you can watch replays from Tokyo 2020 free and on-demand. Or find the key moments from the rest of the athletics events here.

Top 5 marathon moments at Tokyo 2020

These are the key talking points from the men's and women's marathon races, run over 42.195km (26 miles 385 yards) in Sapporo Odori Park. For other top athletics moments at Tokyo 2020, click here.

1- Eliud Kipchoge: King of the marathon

In defending his title Eliud Kipchoge joins an elite group of runners who have successfully managed to attain back-to-back Olympic golds.

The only two others who have managed the feat at the Olympics are 1960 and 1964 champion Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia and East German Waldemar Cierpinski, who won in Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980.

In a perfectly executed men's race, the Kenyan broke away on his own at the 31 kilometre mark and never looked back.

Such was Kipchoge’s dominance in securing his second Olympic gold that he won the race by a margin of 1:20, the widest in an Olympic marathon since 1972. He crossed the line in a sizzling 2:08:38.

2- Gold on Olympic debut for Jepchirchir

There were early signs that Peres Jepchirchir might upset current world record holder Brigid Kosgei in the women’s marathon race in Japan.

The two-time world half marathon champion had qualified for her first Olympics after storming the Valencia Marathon in 2020 in a time of 2:17:16 – the fastest of the year.

In the race, the Kenyan – like her competitors - endured soaring heat which peaked at 31 degrees Celsius with 78 per cent humidity.

At the 40 kilometre mark Jepchirchir sensed Kosgei was struggling, and pushed onwards to finish the race 16 seconds ahead of her teammate and claim her first Olympic gold medal on her debut.

(2021 Getty Images)

3- Olympic spirit shines until the very last

In the dying stages of the men’s marathon race there was a touching moment of sportsmanship, when second placed Dutch runner Abdi Nageeye encouraged an exhausted Bashir Abdi of Belgium to secure a podium finish.

Turning to look behind him, Nageeye could see Abdi and Kenya’s Lawrence Cherono battling it out for the bronze.

The Dutchman began to urge his training partner Abdi to kick on ahead of his Kenyan rival, constantly turning over his shoulder and waving his hand.

Finding his very last ounce of strength, Abdi responded and surged past Cherono to take the final medal available.

Negeeye and Abdi embraced on the finish line in joy at what they had both just achieved.

(2021 Getty Images)

4- Molly Seidel: the surprise package

In just her third ever marathon Molly Seidel of the United States surprised many when she crossed the line in third in the women’s marathon race.

The 27-year-old, who kept pace with both Kosgei and Jepchirchir throughout the race, is now the third American woman ever to medal in the event.

The last to achieve the feat was Deena Kastor back in Athens 2004.

(2021 Getty Images)

5- Seasons bests when it mattered

Even in the face of the sweltering conditions in Sapporo, the Olympic marathon runners stepped up to deliver.

Five of the six podium finishers across both the men’s and women’s races laid down season best performances in Japan.

(2021 Getty Images)

One last look

Is Eliud Kipchoge the greatest of all time?

After defending his crown in Tokyo, the list of reasons why the Kenyan should be considered as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, marathon runner of all time only grows.

At 36-years-old, Kipchoge is not a young gun; at this year’s Games only 11 of the 115 runners entering were older.

Yet still Kipchoge prevailed in style, adding another Olympic gold to a portfolio that contains an official world record (2:01:39), a 10-race unbeaten streak over a five-year stretch, and his amazing effort to become the first human to run the marathon distance in under two-hours at a special event in Vienna.

(2021 Getty Images)

Hello Paris 2024

In an Olympic first, members of the public will be allowed to run the marathon course at Paris 2024.

The Olympic runners will be sent off at a different time to the runners, and the amateurs cannot win a medal as only those who have qualified for the Games can.

The idea behind it is to try and encourage mass participation in the Olympics.

Will we see the Tokyo medallists try to add to their hauls?