Paris, 2024 Marathon Olympic Games - All You Need to Know

Olympic Torch

By Ayoku Fashola 

Paris, Marathon Olympic Games 2024 will be an exciting event in history. It will start from 26 July to 11 August 2024. It is the hope that will help bring back unity from all the participating countries all around the world. The Olympics will be hosted in Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028. Paris has a lot to benefit from hosting the Olympics as investments by French businesses should create an estimated 109,000 jobs, as well as around €9.3 billion in added value. One would think that the Parisians would be jumping for joy at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But, according to Euronews, "many Parisans are not happy about their city hosting this year's summer Olympics." We might expect that reaction from the French since they are considered to be depressives. We won't let that get to us now, will we? The USA, Spain, Japan, Italy, and Canada are some of the countries that have secured their final spots for the Olympic Games.

 

The Olympic Marathon is 42.195km, and it falls under the category of athletics on the Olympic schedule. All sports under the category "athletics" such as 100m (women's/men's), 200m (women's/men's), 3000m Steeplechase (women's/men's), Hammer Throw (women's/men's), Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay (mixed) will be held between August 1 to 11. And the Marathon (women's/men's) will be held the last week-end of the Olympics which is the 10th and 11th of August. The Olympic schedule is very easy to read and it confirms the dates and the times for the game. 

The 2024 U.S Olympic Marathon trials was held on the 3rd of February 2024 in Orlando, Florida. The results for both men and women were very impressive but not enough to beat the Kenyan champions.

The fastest man in the U.S Olympic Marathon trial is Conner Mantz who finished at 2:09:05.

 Conner Mantz

While the fastest man to run a marathon in the world is Kelvin Kiptum from Kenya who died the 11th of February 2024. He set the record of 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

Kelvin Kiptum

 Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya is now the second fastest marathoner in the men category. He set his record of 2:01:09 at the 2022 Berlin Marathon. 

Eliud Kipchoge

 The fastest woman in the U.S Olympic Marathon trial is Conner Mantz who finished at 2:22:10.

Fiona O'Keeffe

While the fastest woman to run a marathon in the world is Tigist Assefa from Ethiopia. She set the record of 2:11:53 at the 2023 Berlin Marathon.

 Tigist Assefa

Mary Keitany from Kenya is now the second fastest marathoner in the women category. She set her record of 2:27:01 at the 2017 women's only London Marathon. 

What about Canada?

According to cbc news, "Malindi Elmore, 43 years old and Cam Levins, 34 years old, who have earned early nominations will represent Canada at the Paris Olympics this summer. They are the only Canadian marathoners to have achieved the women's and men's qualifying standards. Malindi Elmore's fastest record is 2:24:50 and Cam Levins's fastest record is 2:05:36. It will be interesting to watch these two represent Canada.

 What countries should you look out for to win the gold medal?

Kenya and Ethiopia are widely recognized as the countries with the best long-distance runners. 

 Upcoming Stars - Marathon (Men & Women)

Will you be attending the Olympics?

Paris 2024 has revolutionized the Olympic and Paralympic experience for the general public. Anyone with the dream of partaking in the marathon Olympics one day now has the chance to do so. You will be running the same distance and route as elite athletes. The race is open to everyone aged 20 and over and will hold at night. There are estimated to be 20,024 participants running on that day. The starting line for the 42.195km will begin at the Hotel de Ville in Paris at 9 pm, and the finish line will be at Les Invalides. The day of the race will be the 10th of August 2024. 

Conclusion

Paris 2024 Olympic Marathon will no doubt be a memorable event for the athletes and the audience. Team sports allow increased opportunities for social interactions and the development of strong friendships centered around common goals. So whether or not you will be participating in the events, you can invite a friend to watch the games. The competition for gold this year will be very high. We see that the time it takes to be the best in the world has significantly dropped both for men and women. And so, Kelvin Kiptun, fastest marathoner in the world alive, will have to beat Kelvin Kiptum's time. The strive for greatness is more than the medal or the cheers. It is about setting the record straight. The women's category will have to not just compete among themselves but should aim to close the wide gap in the men's marathon race. Those who are committed to the sport know that dedication and commitment required to run a marathon competitively. We wish you the best to the participants. And the French will say, BON COURAGE!