The men’s and women’s marathons promise to be two of the most exciting events of the Paris 2024 Games, particularly given the challenging nature of the course, and the race’s historic significance. After back-to-back gold medal performances in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge aims to become the first runner to win three consecutive marathon gold medals. However, his path to victory will not be easy, and four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah does not like his chances.
🔮 We asked two Olympic legends for some @Paris2024 predictions.
Will they be right? Give us your Olympic predictions in the comments below. 👇#Olympics | #Paris2024 | @socceraid | @usainbolt | @Mo_Farah pic.twitter.com/vqV4tIpEse
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 25, 2024
In an interview with Olympics.com, Farah weighed in on the odds of Kipchoge winning a third Olympic marathon. “I think he could get a medal, but I think it’s going to be a new guy from Kenya or Ethiopia who wins the race,” said Farah. “I think the marathon is going to be tough, honestly.”
Farah has some experience defending Olympic titles, winning back-to-back gold medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m in London 2012 and Rio 2016. He later transitioned to the marathon, but failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, eventually calling it a career in September 2023.
Although Kipchoge’s marathon dominance over his career makes him a favourite (he has won 16 of his 20 races), the 39-year-old has shown signs of slowing down over the past two years, losing two of his last three marathons.
As Farah suggested, the depth and talent of the current East African athletes make the Paris 2024 marathon field one of the best in history. Kipchoge will face strong competition from his Kenyan compatriots, including three-time marathon major winner Benson Kipruto and reigning London Marathon champion Alexander Munyao. The Ethiopian team features the legendary Kenenisa Bekele, likely in his final Olympic marathon, as well as Deresa Geleta and 2022 world champion Tamirat Tola.
Kipruto holds the fastest time in the world this year (2:02:16), while Kipchoge is ranked 54th (he ran 2:06:50 at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon, where he finished 10th; it’s the only marathon he has raced in 2024).
The course will be challenging for all competitors, including the Canadian marathon trio of Cam Levins, Rory Linkletter and Malindi Elmore. It features 483m of elevation gain, making it unlikely that any records will be broken. There are two significant climbs, with gradients of 13.5 per cent, at the 20 km and 27 km marks.
The men’s marathon will take place on the last day of Paris 2024, Aug. 10. The route is an out-and-back loop to the Palace of Versailles, finishing in front of the Esplanade des Invalides, four kilometres southwest of the Paris City Hall starting line. This route is a tribute to the Women’s March on Versailles, one of the earliest and most significant events of the French Revolution.
