Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's marathon

The women's marathon event at the 2020 Summer Olympics started at 06:00 on 7 August 2021 in Sapporo.[1] Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya won gold in 2:27:20 followed by world record holder and Kenyan teammate Brigid Kosgei with silver, and American Molly Seidel winning the bronze medal in her third-ever marathon.[2]

Women's marathon
at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad
Olympic Athletics
VenueSapporo
Date7 August 2021
Competitors88 from 44 nations
Winning time2:27:20
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Peres Jepchirchir  Kenya
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Brigid Kosgei  Kenya
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Molly Seidel  United States
← 2016
2024 →

The race was moved north, from Tokyo to Sapporo because the latter is on average 4 °C (7 °F) cooler in August, as decided in 2019 by the IOC.[3] The start had been moved an hour earlier to 06:00 for the same reason. The two cities turned out to have almost the same temperature, as Sapporo recorded 25 °C (77 °F) at 06:00 when the race started and 29 °C (84 °F) at 08:30.[4]

The gifts for the competition were presented by Sebastian Coe, United Kingdom; World Athletics President.

Background

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This was the 10th appearance of the event, having appeared at every Olympics since 1984.

Qualification

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This was the 10th appearance of the event, having appeared at every Olympics since 1984. Eighty-eight athletes competed.

A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter up to three athletes in the women's marathon if all athletes met the entry standard or qualify by ranking during the qualifying period (the qualification period for "Entry Standard" (2:29:30) was from 1 January 2019 to 31 May 2021, with a maximum quota per NOC of 3.[5]). The limit of 3 has been in place since the 1930 Olympic Congress.

The standard was "set for the sole purpose of qualifying athletes with exceptional performances unable to qualify through the IAAF World Rankings pathway." Runners in the top 10 at the 2019 world championship, the top 5 at any IAAF Gold Label marathon, and the top 10 at the Marathon Major Series were deemed to have met the qualifying standard, regardless of actual time. The world rankings, based on the average of the best five results for the athlete over the qualifying period and weighted by the importance of the meet, will then be used to qualify athletes until the cap of 80 is reached.[5][6] More than 80 athletes (after application of the 3 per NOC rule) have met the qualifying standard.

To be a qualifying performance, the course had to have been certified in the last five years by a Grade A or Grade B road course measurer. In order to be eligible for the qualifying standard time, the elevation decrease could not be more than 1 metre per kilometre. For world rankings, the elevation decrease could exceed that rate, but a correction would be made to the score.[5]

The qualifying period was originally from 1 January 2019 to 31 May 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the period was suspended from 6 April 2020 to 30 November 2020, with the end date extended to 31 May 2021. The world rankings period start date was also changed from 1 January 2019 to 1 December 2018. The qualifying time standards could be obtained in various meets during the given period that have the approval of the IAAF. The most recent Area Championships may be counted in the ranking, even if not during the qualifying period.[5][7] In July 2020, World Athletics announced that the suspension period would be lifted for the road events (marathons and race walks) on 1 September 2020.[8]

NOCs can also use their universality place—each NOC can enter one female athlete regardless of time if they had no female athletes meeting the entry standard for an athletics event—in the marathon.[5]

Women's Marathon

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The 2016 Olympics champion Kenyan Jemima Sumgong did not defend her title due to a doping suspension.[9]

Qualification standard No. of athletes NOC Nominated athletes
Entry standard – 2:29:30 3   Australia Sinead Diver
Ellie Pashley
Lisa Jane Weightman
2   Bahrain Eunice Chumba
Tejitu Daba
3   Canada Malindi Elmore
Dayna Pidhoresky
Natasha Wodak
3   China Bai Li
Li Zhixuan
Zhang Deshun
3   Czech Republic Tereza Hrochová
Marcela Joglová
Eva Vrabcová-Nývltová
3   Ethiopia Roza Dereje
Birhane Dibaba
Zeineba Yimer
3   Germany Melat Yisak Kejeta
Deborah Schöneborn
Katharina Steinruck
3   Great Britain Stephanie Davis
Jess Piasecki
Stephanie Twell
3   Japan Mao Ichiyama[10]
Honami Maeda
Ayuko Suzuki
3   Kenya Ruth Chepng'etich
Peres Jepchirchir
Brigid Kosgei
3   Mexico Andrea Ramírez Limón
Úrsula Sánchez
Daniela Torres Huerta
1   Morocco Rkia El Moukim
Souad Kanbouchia
Majida Maayouf
2   Netherlands Andrea Deelstra
Jill Holterman
Ruth van der Meijden [nl][11]
0   North Korea Jo Un-ok
Kim Ji-hyang
Ri Kwang-ok
3   Poland Aleksandra Lisowska
Angelika Mach
Karolina Jarzyńska
3   Portugal Sara Moreira
Catarina Ribeiro
Carla Salomé Rocha
3   Spain Marta Galimany
Elena Loyo
Laura Méndez Esquer
1   Sweden Carolina Wikström
Charlotta Fougberg
Hanna Lindholm
3   Ukraine Viktoriia Kaliuzhna
Darya Mykhaylova
Yevheniya Prokofyeva
3   United States Sally Kipyego
Molly Seidel
Aliphine Tuliamuk
2   Belarus Volha Mazuronak
Nina Savina
2   Belgium Mieke Gorissen
Hanne Verbruggen
2   Croatia Bojana Bjeljac
Matea Parlov Koštro
2   Ecuador Andrea Bonilla
Rosa Chacha
2   Eritrea Kokob Tesfagabriel
Nazret Weldu
2   Ireland Aoife Cooke
Fionnuala McCormack
2   Israel Lonah Chemtai Salpeter
Maor Tiyouri
1   Italy Sara Dossena
Giovanna Epis
1   Kyrgyzstan Iuliia Andreeva
Darya Maslova
2   Peru Jovana de la Cruz
Gladys Tejeda
0   ROC[Note RUS] Marina Kovalyova
Sardana Trofimova
2   South Africa Gerda Steyn
Irvette van Zyl
2   South Korea Ahn Seul-ki
Choi Kyung-sun
2   Uganda Juliet Chekwel
Immaculate Chemutai
1   Argentina Marcela Cristina Gómez
1   Colombia Angie Orjuela
1   France Susan Jeptooo Kipsang
1   Kazakhstan Zhanna Mamazhanova
1   Lesotho Neheng Khatala
1   Moldova Lilia Fisikovici
1   Mongolia Bayartsogtyn Mönkhzayaa
1   Namibia Helalia Johannes
1   Switzerland Fabienne Schlumpf
1   Tanzania Failuna Abdi Matanga
1   Turkey Meryem Erdoğan
Finishing position at designated competitions 0   Belarus Nastassia Ivanova
0   Belgium Nina Lauwaert
0   New Zealand Alice Mason
0   Rwanda Salomé Nyirarukundo
1   Switzerland Martina Strähl
World ranking 0
Universality Places 1   Solomon Islands Sharon Firisua
Total 91

Competition format and course

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As for all Olympic marathons, the competition is a single race. The marathon distance of 26 miles, 385 yards (42.195 kilometers) was run over a course that started with two laps around Odori Park. The route next made a large loop (about half the marathon's length) through the streets of Sapporo, passing by Nakajima Park, Sapporo TV Tower, and Hokkaido University, and crossing the Toyohira River twice. The race then took two laps around a smaller (approximately 6.2 miles (10.0 km)) section of the large loop. The finish line was back at Odori Park.[12]

Records

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The existing world, Olympic and area records were left untouched by this race due to its harsh conditions:

World record   Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:14:04 Chicago, United States 13 October 2019
Olympic record   Tiki Gelana (ETH) 2:23:07 London, United Kingdom 5 August 2012
Area Time Athlete Nation
Africa (records) 2:14:04 WR Brigid Kosgei   Kenya
Asia (records) 2:19:12 Mizuki Noguchi   Japan
Europe (records) 2:15:25 Paula Radcliffe   Great Britain
North, Central America
and Caribbean
(records)
2:19:36 Deena Kastor   United States
Oceania (records) 2:22:36 Benita Johnson   Australia
South America (records) 2:26:17 Yolanda Caballero   Colombia

Schedule

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All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

The women's marathon took place on a single day.[1]

Date Time Round
Saturday, 7 August 2021 6:00 Final

Results

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Rank Athlete Nation Time Time Behind Notes
  Peres Jepchirchir   Kenya 2:27:20 SB
  Brigid Kosgei   Kenya 2:27:36 +0:16 SB
  Molly Seidel   United States 2:27:46 +0:26 SB
4 Roza Dereje   Ethiopia 2:28:38 +1:18 SB
5 Volha Mazuronak   Belarus 2:29:06 +1:46 SB
6 Melat Yisak Kejeta   Germany 2:29:16 +1:56 SB
7 Eunice Chumba   Bahrain 2:29:36 +2:16
8 Mao Ichiyama   Japan 2:30:13 +2:53
9 Malindi Elmore   Canada 2:30:59 +3:39 SB
10 Sinead Diver   Australia 2:31:14 +3:54 SB
11 Helalia Johannes   Namibia 2:31:22 +4:02 SB
12 Fabienne Schlumpf   Switzerland 2:31:36 +4:16
13 Natasha Wodak   Canada 2:31:41 +4:21 SB
14 Karolina Jarzyńska   Poland 2:32:04 +4:44 SB
15 Gerda Steyn   South Africa 2:32:10 +4:50
16 Immaculate Chemutai   Uganda 2:32:23 +5:03
17 Sally Kipyego   United States 2:32:53 +5:33 SB
18 Deborah Schöneborn   Germany 2:33:08 +5:48 SB
19 Ayuko Suzuki   Japan 2:33:14 +5:54 SB
20 Neheng Khatala   Lesotho 2:33:15 +5:55
21 Matea Parlov Koštro   Croatia 2:33:18 +5:58 SB
22 Carolina Wikström   Sweden 2:33:19 +5:59 SB
23 Ellie Pashley   Australia 2:33:39 +6:19 SB
24 Failuna Abdi Matanga   Tanzania 2:33:58 +6:38 SB
25 Fionnuala McCormack   Ireland 2:34:09 +6:49 SB
26 Lisa Jane Weightman   Australia 2:34:19 +6:59 SB
27 Gladys Tejeda   Peru 2:34:21 +7:01 SB
28 Mieke Gorissen   Belgium 2:34:24 +7:04
29 Elena Loyo   Spain 2:34:38 +7:18 SB
30 Carla Salomé Rocha   Portugal 2:34:52 +7:32 SB
31 Katharina Steinruck   Germany 2:35:00 +7:40
32 Giovanna Epis   Italy 2:35:09 +7:49 SB
33 Honami Maeda   Japan 2:35:28 +8:08
34 Choi Kyung-sun   South Korea 2:35:33 +8:13 SB
35 Aleksandra Lisowska   Poland 2:35:33 +8:13
36 Darya Maslova   Kyrgyzstan 2:35:35 +8:15 SB
37 Marta Galimany   Spain 2:35:39 +8:19 SB
38 Susan Jeptooo Kipsang   France 2:36:29 +9:09 SB
39 Stephanie Davis   Great Britain 2:36:33 +9:13
40 Jovana de la Cruz   Peru 2:36:38 +9:18
41 Rosa Chacha   Ecuador 2:36:44 +9:24
42 Yevheniya Prokofyeva   Ukraine 2:36:47 +9:27 SB
43 Nazret Weldu   Eritrea 2:37:01 +9:41
44 Andrea Deelstra   Netherlands 2:37:05 +9:45 SB
45 Bayartsogtyn Mönkhzayaa   Mongolia 2:37:08 +9:48 SB
46 Zhanna Mamazhanova   Kazakhstan 2:37:42 +10:22
47 Zhang Deshun   China 2:37:45 +10:25
48 Maor Tiyouri   Israel 2:37:52 +10:32
49 Hanne Verbruggen   Belgium 2:38:03 +10:43 SB
50 Nina Savina   Belarus 2:38:41 +11:21 SB
51 Martina Strähl   Switzerland 2:39:25 +12:05 SB
52 Marcela Joglová   Czech Republic 2:39:29 +12:09
53 Bojana Bjeljac   Croatia 2:39:32 +12:12 SB
54 Lilia Fisikovici   Moldova 2:39:59 +12:39 SB
55 Angie Orjuela   Colombia 2:40:04 +12:44 SB
56 Rkia El Moukim   Morocco 2:40:10 +12:50 SB
57 Ahn Seul-ki   South Korea 2:41:11 +13:51 SB
58 Tereza Hrochová   Czech Republic 2:42:25 +15:05
59 Angelika Mach   Poland 2:42:26 +15:06
60 Andrea Bonilla   Ecuador 2:43:30 +16:10 SB
61 Marcela Cristina Gómez   Argentina 2:44:09 +16:49 SB
62 Li Zhixuan   China 2:45:23 +18:03
63 Jill Holterman   Netherlands 2:45:27 +18:07
64 Úrsula Sánchez   Mexico 2:45:45 +18:25 SB
65 Daniela Torres Huerta   Mexico 2:47:15 +19:55
66 Lonah Chemtai Salpeter   Israel 2:48:31 +21:11
67 Bai Li   China 2:49:21 +22:01
68 Stephanie Twell   Great Britain 2:53:26 +26:06 SB
69 Juliet Chekwel   Uganda 2:53:40 +26:20 SB
70 Catarina Ribeiro   Portugal 2:55:01 +27:41 SB
71 Jess Piasecki   Great Britain 2:55:39 +28:19 SB
72 Sharon Firisua   Solomon Islands 3:02:10 +34:50 NR
73 Dayna Pidhoresky   Canada 3:03:10 +35:50 SB
Andrea Ramírez Limón   Mexico 35 km DNF
Ruth Chepng'etich   Kenya 30 km DNF
Laura Méndez Esquer   Spain 30 km DNF
Birhane Dibaba   Ethiopia 25 km DNF
Tejitu Daba   Bahrain 25 km DNF
Kokob Tesfagabriel   Eritrea Half DNF
Viktoriia Kaliuzhna   Ukraine Half DNF
Irvette van Zyl   South Africa Half DNF
Sara Moreira   Portugal Half DNF
Aliphine Tuliamuk   United States 20 km DNF
Aoife Cooke   Ireland 20 km DNF
Darya Mykhaylova   Ukraine 20 km DNF
Zeineba Yimer   Ethiopia 15 km DNF
Eva Vrabcová-Nývltová   Czech Republic 10 km DNF
Meryem Erdoğan   Turkey 5 km DNF

References

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  1. ^ a b "Athletics Competition Schedule". Tokyo 2020. 23 April 2018. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  2. ^ Futterman, Matthew; Minsberg, Talya (29 February 2020). "Live Coverage of the Olympic Trials Marathon". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  3. ^ 杉野謙太郎 (16 October 2019). 東京五輪マラソンと競歩、札幌での実施を計画…IOC. Yomiuri Shimbun. Archived from the original on 16 October 2019.
  4. ^ 女子マラソン、棄権は15人 東京との気温差、ゴール時はなし. Kyodo News. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021 – via Yahoo.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Qualification System – Games of the XXXI Olympiad – Athletics" (PDF). IAAF. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  6. ^ "IAAF to follow other sports with world ranking system for athletes". BBC Sport. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  7. ^ "Olympic qualification period suspended until 1 December 2020". World Athletics. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Olympic qualifying system to recommence for road athletes from September 2020". 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong's doping ban doubled to eight years". Sky Sports. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  10. ^ "Athletics: Ichiyama, Osako clinch Japan's last Olympic marathon spots". Kyodo News. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Atletiekbond wijst Choukoud en Van Nunen aan voor olympische marathon". NOS. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  12. ^ "The New Olympic Marathon Course Has Been Unveiled". Runners World. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2020.