The men's marathon at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea was held on Sunday October 2, 1988. The race started at 14:30h local time. A total of 98 athletes completed the race, with Polin Belisle from Belize finishing in last position in 3'14:02. There were 118 competitors from 60 countries. Twenty of them did not finish. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Gelindo Bordin of Italy, the nation's first victory in the Olympic men's marathon and first medal in the event since 1924. Kenya and Djibouti each won their first Olympic men's marathon medal.
Helalia Lukeiko Johannes, also known as Hilaria Johannes, is a Namibian long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon. She holds the Namibian records in the 10 km, 20 km, half marathon and marathon events.
Daniele Meucci is an Italian athlete who specialises in long-distance running, including track running, cross country and road running who won twenty medals at international level.
Stephen Mokoka is a South African long-distance runner who competes in races ranging from 3000 metres to the 50 km distance. He formerly held the 50 km world record. He is a four-time medalist at the Universiade and has represented South Africa internationally in road, cross country, and track events. He represented South Africa in the marathon at the 2012 London Olympics.
In India, the sport of athletics was introduced during the period of the British Raj. The sport is governed at national level by the Athletics Federation of India, which was formed in 1946. Despite its large population, few Indian athletes have won a medal in a global or major championship. This began to change in the 21st century, when Indians started taking greater interest in athletics more generally and improved facilities for the sport began to be built at a local level. At a continental level, it has been among the more successful Asian nations, though some distance behind China and Japan.
Nguse Tesfaldet Amlosom is an Eritrean long-distance runner. He competed in the 10,000 m event at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics and placed 15th and 9th, respectively.
Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics were held during the last ten days of the Games. They were due to be held from 31 July – 9 August 2020, at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the games were postponed to 2021, with the track and field events set for 30 July – 8 August. The sport of athletics at these Games was split into three distinct sets of events: track and field events, remaining in Tokyo, and road running events and racewalking events, moved to Sapporo. A total of 48 events were held, one more than in 2016, with the addition of a mixed relay event.
Alphonce Felix Simbu is a Tanzanian long distance runner who specialises in the marathon. He competed in the marathon event at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, China. He finished 12th with a time of 2:16:58.
Callum Robert Hawkins is a British distance runner, who competed in the marathon at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He is the Scottish record holder in the marathon and the British all-time number three at that distance behind Mo Farah and Steve Jones. Hawkins is also the all-time Great Britain number two in the half marathon. He is the Great Scottish Run course record holder and was the first British man to win that event in 23 years.
Tseveenravdangiin Byambajav is a Mongolian long distance runner who specialises in the marathon. He competed in the men's marathon event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2017 Byambajav participated in the World Championships held in London, placing 46th in the marathon event, with a time of 2:21:48.
Yassine Rachik is a Moroccan-born Italian long-distance runner who won the Italian Athletics Championships three times and also won an individual bronze medal at the 2018 European Athletics Championships.
Hamza Sahli is a Moroccan athlete who specailizes in long-distance events. He won a bronze medal in half marathon at the 2019 African Games. Representing Morocco at the 2019 World Athletics Championships, he competed in men's marathon and finished 8th.
Zeineba Yimer is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She represented Ethiopia at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Morocco and won the silver medal in the women's 10,000 metres event.
Malcolm Hicks is a New Zealand former long-distance runner. In 2019, he competed in the men's marathon at the 2019 World Athletics Championships held in Doha, Qatar. He finished in 27th place.
Lemawork Ketema is an Austrian long-distance runner. In 2019, he competed in the men's marathon at the 2019 World Athletics Championships held in Doha, Qatar. He finished in 41st place.
Kokob TesfagabrielSolomon is an Eritrean long-distance runner. In 2018, she competed in the women's half marathon at the 2018 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships held in Valencia, Spain. She finished in 38th place.
Tomas Hilifa Rainhold, is a Namibian long-distance runner. He competed in the men's marathon at the 2019 World Athletics Championships held in Doha, Qatar. He finished in 17th place.
Darya Mykhaylova or Dariia Mykhailova is a Ukrainian long-distance runner. She competed in the women's marathon at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.
Denis Igorevich Lukyanov is a Russian athletics competitor competing in the hammer throw. In 2019, he competed in the men's hammer throw at the 2019 World Athletics Championships held in Doha, Qatar. He did not qualify to compete in the final.
Harry Summers is an Australian long-distance runner.
