Athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon

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Men's marathon 45km
at the Games of the XVI Olympiad
Alain Mimoun (1956, vainqueur du marathon des JO).jpg
Alain Mimoun, winner
Venue Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
DatesDecember 1
Competitors46 from 23 nations
Winning time2:25:00
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Alain Mimoun
Flag of France.svg  France
Silver medal icon.svg Franjo Mihalić
Flag of SFR Yugoslavia.svg  Yugoslavia
Bronze medal icon.svg Veikko Karvonen
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
  1952
1960  

The men's marathon at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia was held on Saturday December 1, 1956. There were 46 participants from 23 nations, with 13 runners not completing the race. [1] The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by 1 minute 32 seconds by Alain Mimoun of France, the nation's first Olympic marathon victory since 1928 and third overall. Yugoslavia took its first Olympic marathon medal with Franjo Mihalić's silver. Finland returned to the podium in the event for the first time since 1932 (the end of a four-Games medal streak for the nation) as Veikko Karvonen took bronze.

Background

This was the 13th appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. Returning runners from the 1952 marathon included defending champion Emil Zátopek of Czechoslovakia and fifth-place finisher Veikko Karvonen of Finland. Zátopek's primary challenger was Alain Mimoun of France, who had won three silver medals in the 5000 metres and 10000 metres track events in 1948 and 1952—all behind Zátopek. Mimoun was making his marathon debut. Zátopek, on the other hand, was still recovering from hernia surgery. [2]

Burma, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, and New Zealand each made their first appearance in Olympic marathons; Germany appeared for the first time as the "United Team of Germany". The United States made its 13th appearance, the only nation to have competed in each Olympic marathon to that point.

Competition format and course

Map of marathon course 1956 Summer Olympics marathon.png
Map of marathon course

As all Olympic marathons, the competition was a single race. The marathon distance of 26 miles, 385 yards) was run over an out-and-back course, starting and finishing at the Olympic Stadium. [2]

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records prior to the 1956 Summer Olympics.

World recordFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  Jim Peters  (GBR)2:17:39.4 London, United Kingdom 26 June 1954
Olympic recordFlag of the Czech Republic.svg  Emil Zátopek  (TCH)2:23:03.2 Helsinki, Finland 27 July 1952

No new world or Olympic bests were set during the competition.

Schedule

All times are Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10)

DateTimeRound
Saturday, 1 December 195615:15Final

Results

RankAthleteNationTime
Gold medal icon.svg Alain Mimoun Flag of France.svg  France 2:25:00
Silver medal icon.svg Franjo Mihalić Flag of SFR Yugoslavia.svg  Yugoslavia 2:26:32
Bronze medal icon.svg Veikko Karvonen Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 2:27:47
4 Lee Chang-Hoon Flag of South Korea (1949-1984).svg  South Korea 2:28:45
5 Yoshiaki Kawashima Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 2:29:19
6 Emil Zátopek Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 2:29:34
7 Ivan Filin Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union 2:30:37
8 Evert Nyberg Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 2:31:12
9 Thomas Nilsson Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 2:33:33
10 Eino Oksanen Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 2:36:10
11 Arnold Vaide Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 2:36:21
12 Choi Chunk-Sik Flag of South Korea (1949-1984).svg  South Korea 2:36:53
13 Paavo Kotila Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 2:38:59
14 Mercer Davies Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa 2:39:48
15 Harry Hicks Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain 2:39:55
16 Hideo Hamamura Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 2:40:53
17 Albert Richards Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 2:41:34
18 John Russell Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 2:41:44
19 Lothar Beckert Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany 2:42:10
20 Nick Costes US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 2:42:20
21 John J. Kelley US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 2:43:40
22 Muhamad Havlidar Aslam Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan 2:44:33
23 Adolf Gruber Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 2:46:20
24 Aurèle Vandendriessche Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 2:47:18
25 Keith Ollerenshaw Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 2:48:12
26 Myitung Naw Flag of Burma (1948-1974).svg  Burma 2:49:32
27 Pavel Kantorek Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia 2:52:05
28 Kurt Hartung Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany 2:52:14
29 Bashay Feleke Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1974).svg  Ethiopia 2:53:37
30 Abdul Rashid Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan 2:57:47
31 Kanuti Sum Flag of British East Africa.svg  Kenya 2:58:42
32 Gebre Birkay Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1974).svg  Ethiopia 2:58:49
33 Kurao Hiroshima Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan 3:04:17
Giuseppe Lavelli Flag of Italy.svg  Italy DNF
Jan Barnard Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa DNF
Ron Clark Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain DNF
Eduardo Fontecilla Flag of Chile.svg  Chile DNF
Ali Baghbanbashi State Flag of Iran (1933-1964).svg  Iran DNF
Boris Grishayev Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union DNF
Les Perry Flag of Australia.svg  Australia DNF
Juan Silva Flag of Chile.svg  Chile DNF
Albert Ivanov Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union DNF
Klaus Porbadnik Flag of Germany.svg  United Team of Germany DNF
Fred Norris Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain DNF
Im Hwa-dong Flag of South Korea (1949-1984).svg  South Korea DNF
Dean Thackwray US flag 48 stars.svg  United States DNF
Demissie GamatchoFlag of Ethiopia (1897-1974).svg  Ethiopia DNS
Rudy MéndezFlag of Puerto Rico (1952-1995).svg  Puerto Rico DNS

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References

  1. "Athletics at the 1956 Melbourne Summer Games: Men's Marathon". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Marathon, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 27 August 2020.