Marathon at the Summer Olympics

Last updated
Marathon
at the Olympic Games
1896 Olympic marathon.jpg
Burton Holmes' photograph entitled 1896: Three athletes in training for the marathon at the Olympic Games in Athens
Overview
Sport Athletics
GenderMen and women
Years heldMen: 18962024
Women: 19842024
Olympic record
Men2:06:26 Tamirat Tola (2024)
Women2:22:55 Sifan Hassan (2024)
Reigning champion
MenFlag of Ethiopia.svg  Tamirat Tola  (ETH)
WomenFlag of the Netherlands.svg  Sifan Hassan  (NED)

The marathon at the Summer Olympics is the only road running event held at the multi-sport event. The men's marathon has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since the first modern Olympics in 1896. Nearly ninety years later, the women's event was added to the programme at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Contents

History

The modern marathon event was created and later refined through the Olympic competition. The idea of holding a marathon race at the first Olympics was suggested to Pierre de Coubertin by Michel Bréal. Based upon a popular myth stemming from the Battle of Marathon, in which Pheidippides ran to Athens from the town of Marathon, Greece to carry the message of a Greek victory, the 1896 course began in the town of Marathon and finished in Athens' Panathenaic Stadium – a distance of around 40 kilometres (25 mi). [1] On April 10, 1896, Greek water-carrier Spyridon Louis won the first Olympic marathon in 2 hours 58 minutes and 50 seconds. The route between Marathon and Panathenaic Stadium was repeated when Athens hosted the 2004 Games.

The race distance varied from 40 to 42 kilometres (25 to 26 mi) in the early editions as it was typically based upon the distance between two points that the organisers felt were suitable. The 1908 London Olympics marked the introduction of the standard distance of 26 miles, 385 yards (42.195 km). [2] However, it was not until the 1924 Paris Olympics that this distance became the standard at the Olympics. [3]

The Olympic marathon proved immediately popular in the Western world and quickly spawned numerous long-running annual races, including the Boston Marathon in 1897, the Tour de Paris Marathon in 1902, the Yonkers Marathon in 1907, and the London Polytechnic Marathon in 1909. Such marathons played a key role in the expansion of the road running movement internationally over the course of the 20th century. [4] [5]

Until the 2016 Summer Olympics, it was tradition for the men's marathon to be held on the last day of the Games. However, due to changes to the Olympic program in 2020 and 2024, the women's marathon was held on the last day. [6] The first time the marathon finish line took place inside the Olympic Stadium was at the 1908 Summer Olympics.Something that has only been changed a few times, the first time being at the 1936 Summer Olympics, when the event took place on a racing circuit. Outside the Olympic Stadium, the finish line for this event has historically been in spectacular locations.at the 1960 Summer Olympics, held in Rome, where the finish line was at the Arch of Constantine.In 2004, the same route as the 1896 race was run. However, the final 195 meters were run inside the Panathenaic Stadium.At the 2012 Summer Olympics, the marathon route started and finished on The Mall.Already in 2016,the start and finish were in the Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí, which is the place where the parade of the samba schools of the Special Group (first division) of Rio de Janeiro takes place annually. Five years later, the 2020 Summer Olympics marathon did not take place in the host city (Tokyo) due to the fact that the weather forecast for the period of the Games indicated that the event would be held in extreme weather conditions and the two events were held in Sapporo, located almost 900km to the north. Sapporo recorded 26.0 °C (78.8 °F) at 07:00 when the race started, not much different from Tokyo [7] The route of the Paris 2024 marathon also did not pass through the Olympic Stadium, as it started at the Hôtel de Ville and went to the Palace of Versailles and finished at the Esplanade des Invalides in a route has historical connections, on the same route that was taken in Women's March on Versailles, which shaped the history and values of contemporary France.This route was designed so that This route was designed to include as many historical sites as possible within the city of Paris, Ile-de-France, and its surroundings.and this involved world-renowned places like Louvre, the Place de la Concorde, Grand Palais, and the Eiffel Tower. [8] At the 2020 Tokyo games, the marathon was instead held in Sapporo due to heat concerns in the host city. [9] [10] [11] [12]

Between 1984 and 2016, the women's marathon opened the athletics events, while the men's event closed them on the last day of the Games.Between 1984 and 2016, the women's marathon opened the athletics events, while the men's marathon closed them on the last day of the Games. However, this rule was broken from 2020 onwards, when the men's marathon began to take place before the women's marathon. [13]

The Olympic records for the event are 2:06:26 hours for men, set by Tamirat Tola in 2024, and 2:22:55 hours for women, set by Sifan Hassan in 2024. The men's marathon world record has been improved several times at the Olympics: in 1908, 1920, and then at successive Olympics by Abebe Bikila in 1960 and 1964. [14] Abebe Bikila, Waldemar Cierpinski, and Eliud Kipchoge are the only athletes to have won two Olympic gold medals in the marathon. No athlete has won more than two medals of any colour. Ethiopia have won the most gold medals in the event, with six, while Kenya has the greatest medal total with fifteen overall.

Medal summary

Men

GamesGoldSilverBronze
1896 Athens
details
Spyridon Louis
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece
2:58:50 Charilaos Vasilakos
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece
3:06:03 Gyula Kellner
Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary
3:06:35
1900 Paris
details
Michel Théato
Flag of France.svg  France [15] [16]
2:59:45 Émile Champion
Flag of France.svg  France
3:04:17 Ernst Fast
Swedish civil ensign (1844-1905).svg  Sweden
3:37:14
1904 St. Louis
details
Thomas Hicks
US flag 45 stars.svg  United States
3:28:53 Albert Corey
Flag of France.svg  France [17] [18]
3:34:52 Arthur Newton
US flag 45 stars.svg  United States
3:47:33
1908 London
details
Johnny Hayes
US flag 45 stars.svg  United States
2:55:18.4 Charles Hefferon
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  South Africa
2:56:06.0 Joseph Forshaw
US flag 45 stars.svg  United States
2:57:10.4
1912 Stockholm
details
Ken McArthur
Red Ensign of South Africa (1912-1951).svg  South Africa
2:36:54.8 Christian Gitsham
Red Ensign of South Africa (1912-1951).svg  South Africa
2:37:52.0 Gaston Strobino
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
2:38:42.4
1920 Antwerp
details
Hannes Kolehmainen
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
2:32:35.8 Jüri Lossmann
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
2:32:48.6 Valerio Arri
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy
2:36:32.8
1924 Paris
details
Albin Stenroos
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
2:41:22.6 Romeo Bertini
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy
2:47:19.6 Clarence DeMar
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States
2:48:14.0
1928 Amsterdam
details
Boughera El Ouafi
Flag of France.svg  France
2:32:57 Manuel Plaza
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile
2:33:23 Martti Marttelin
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
2:35:02
1932 Los Angeles
details
Juan Carlos Zabala
Flag of Argentina (1861-2010).svg  Argentina
2:31:36 Sam Ferris
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
2:31:55 Armas Toivonen
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
2:32:12
1936 Berlin
details
Sohn Kee-chung
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan [19]
2:29:19.2 Ernest Harper
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
2:31:23.2 Nam Sung-yong
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan [19]
2:31:42.0
1948 London
details
Delfo Cabrera
Flag of Argentina (1861-2010).svg  Argentina
2:34:51.6 Tom Richards
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
2:35:07.6 Étienne Gailly
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
2:35:33.6
1952 Helsinki
details
Emil Zátopek
Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia
2:23:03.2 Reinaldo Gorno
Flag of Argentina (1861-2010).svg  Argentina
2:25:35.0 Gustaf Jansson
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
2:26:07.0
1956 Melbourne
details
Alain Mimoun
Flag of France.svg  France
2:25:00 Franjo Mihalić
Flag of SFR Yugoslavia.svg  Yugoslavia
2:26:32 Veikko Karvonen
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
2:27:47
1960 Rome
details
Abebe Bikila
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1974).svg  Ethiopia
2:15:16.2 Rhadi Ben Abdesselam
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco
2:15:41.6 Barry Magee
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
2:17:18.2
1964 Tokyo
details
Abebe Bikila
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1974).svg  Ethiopia
2:12:11.2 Basil Heatley
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
2:16:19.2 Kōkichi Tsuburaya
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan
2:16:22.8
1968 Mexico City
details
Mamo Wolde
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1974).svg  Ethiopia
2:20:26 Kenji Kimihara
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan
2:23:31 Mike Ryan
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
2:23:45
1972 Munich
details
Frank Shorter
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2:12:19 Karel Lismont
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
2:14:31 Mamo Wolde
Flag of Ethiopia (1897-1974).svg  Ethiopia
2:15:08
1976 Montreal
details
Waldemar Cierpinski
Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
2:09:55 Frank Shorter
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2:10:45 Karel Lismont
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
2:11:12
1980 Moscow
details
Waldemar Cierpinski
Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
2:11:03 Gerard Nijboer
Olympic flag.svg  Netherlands
2:11:20 Satymkul Dzhumanazarov
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
2:11:35
1984 Los Angeles
details
Carlos Lopes
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
2:09:21 John Treacy
Flag of Ireland (3-2).svg  Ireland
2:09:56 Charlie Spedding
Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain
2:09:58
1988 Seoul
details
Gelindo Bordin
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
2:10:32 Douglas Wakiihuri
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:10:47 Ahmed Salah
Flag of Djibouti.svg  Djibouti
2:10:59
1992 Barcelona
details
Hwang Young-cho
Flag of South Korea (1984-1997).svg  South Korea
2:13:23 Kōichi Morishita
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan
2:13:45 Stephan Freigang
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
2:14:00
1996 Atlanta
details
Josia Thugwane
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2:12:36 Lee Bong-ju
Flag of South Korea (1984-1997).svg  South Korea
2:12:39 Erick Wainaina
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:12:44
2000 Sydney
details
Gezahegne Abera
Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Ethiopia
2:10:11 Erick Wainaina
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:10:31 Tesfaye Tola
Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Ethiopia
2:11:10
2004 Athens
details
Stefano Baldini
Flag of Italy (2003-2006).svg  Italy
2:10:55 Meb Keflezighi
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2:11:29 Vanderlei de Lima
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
2:12:11
2008 Beijing
details
Samuel Wanjiru
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:06:32 Jaouad Gharib
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco
2:07:16 Tsegay Kebede
Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Ethiopia
2:10:00
2012 London
details
Stephen Kiprotich
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda
2:08:01 Abel Kirui
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:08:27 Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:09:37
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Eliud Kipchoge
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:08:44 Feyisa Lelisa
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia
2:09:54 Galen Rupp
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2:10:05
2020 Tokyo
details
Eliud Kipchoge
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:08:38 Abdi Nageeye
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
2:09:58 Bashir Abdi
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
2:10:00
2024 Paris
details
Tamirat Tola
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia
2:06:26 Bashir Abdi
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
2:06:47 Benson Kipruto
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:07:00

Multiple medalists

RankAthleteNationOlympicsGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1= Abebe Bikila Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia  (ETH)1960–19642002
1= Waldemar Cierpinski Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany  (GDR)1976–19802002
1= Eliud Kipchoge Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)2016–20202002
4 Frank Shorter Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)1972–19761102
5 Mamo Wolde Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia  (ETH)1968–19721012
6= Karel Lismont Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium  (BEL)1972–19760112
6= Erick Wainaina Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)1996–20000112
6= Bashir Abdi Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium  (BEL)2020–20240112

Medals by country

Map of countries' best results - Men's Marathon Mens Marathon Olympic best.png
Map of countries' best results – Men's Marathon
As of the 2020 Olympics
RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia  (ETH)5139
2Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)3328
3Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)32510
4Flag of France.svg  France  (FRA)3205
5Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa  (RSA)2204
6Flag of Italy.svg  Italy  (ITA)2114
7Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina  (ARG)2103
8Flag of Finland.svg  Finland  (FIN)2035
9Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany  (GDR)2002
10Flag of Japan.svg  Japan  (JPN)1225
11Flag of Greece.svg  Greece  (GRE)1102
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea  (KOR)1102
13Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia  (TCH)1001
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal  (POR)1001
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda  (UGA)1001
16Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain  (GBR)0415
17Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco  (MAR)0202
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands  (NED)0202
19Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium  (BEL)0134
20Flag of Chile.svg  Chile  (CHI)0101
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia  (EST)0101
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland  (IRL)0101
Flag of SFR Yugoslavia.svg  Yugoslavia  (YUG)0101
24Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand  (NZL)0022
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden  (SWE)0022
26Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil  (BRA)0011
Flag of Djibouti.svg  Djibouti  (DJI)0011
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany  (GER)0011
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary  (HUN)0011
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union  (URS)0011
Totals (30 entries)30292988

Women

GamesGoldSilverBronze
1984 Los Angeles
details
Joan Benoit
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2:24:52 Grete Waitz
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway
2:26:18 Rosa Mota
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
2:26:57
1988 Seoul
details
Rosa Mota
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
2:25:40 Lisa Martin
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia
2:25:53 Katrin Dörre
Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany
2:26:21
1992 Barcelona
details
Valentina Yegorova
Olympic flag.svg  Unified Team
2:32:41 Yuko Arimori
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan
2:32:49 Lorraine Moller
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
2:33:59
1996 Atlanta
details
Fatuma Roba
Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Ethiopia
2:26:05 Valentina Yegorova
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
2:28:05 Yuko Arimori
Flag of Japan (1870-1999).svg  Japan
2:28:39
2000 Sydney
details
Naoko Takahashi
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
2:23:14 Lidia Șimon
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
2:23:22 Joyce Chepchumba
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:24:45
2004 Athens
details
Mizuki Noguchi
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
2:26:20 Catherine Ndereba
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:26:32 Deena Kastor
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2:27:20
2008 Beijing
details
Constantina Tomescu
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
2:26:44 Catherine Ndereba
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:27:06 Zhou Chunxiu
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China
2:27:07
2012 London
details
Tiki Gelana
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia
2:23:07 Priscah Jeptoo
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:23:12 Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia
2:23:29
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Jemima Sumgong
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:24:04 Eunice Kirwa
Flag of Bahrain.svg  Bahrain
2:24:13 Mare Dibaba
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia
2:24:30
2020 Tokyo
details
Peres Jepchirchir
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:27:20 Brigid Kosgei
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:27:36 Molly Seidel
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2:27:46
2024 Paris
details
Sifan Hassan
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
2:22:55 Tigst Assefa
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia
2:22:58 Hellen Obiri
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
2:23:10

Multiple medalists

RankAthleteNationOlympicsGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Valentina Yegorova Olympic flag.svg  Unified Team  (EUN)
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia  (RUS)
1992–19961102
2 Rosa Mota Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal  (POR)1984–19881012
3 Catherine Ndereba Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)2004–20080202
4 Yuko Arimori Flag of Japan.svg  Japan  (JPN)1992–19960112

Medals by country

Map of countries' best results - Women's Marathon Womens Marathon Olympic best.png
Map of countries' best results – Women's Marathon
As of the 2020 Olympics
RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya  (KEN)2417
2Flag of Japan.svg  Japan  (JPN)2114
3Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia  (ETH)2013
4Flag of Romania.svg  Romania  (ROM)1102
5Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)1023
6Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal  (POR)1012
7Olympic flag.svg  Unified Team  (EUN)1001
8Flag of Russia.svg  Russia  (RUS)0112
9Flag of Australia.svg  Australia  (AUS)0101
Flag of Bahrain.svg  Bahrain  (BRN)0101
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway  (NOR)0101
12Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China  (CHN)0011
Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany  (GDR)0011
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand  (NZL)0011
Totals (14 entries)10101030

Intercalated Games

The 1906 Intercalated Games were held in Athens and at the time were officially recognised as part of the Olympic Games series, with the intention being to hold a games in Greece in two-year intervals between the internationally held Olympics. However, this plan never came to fruition and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later decided not to recognise these games as part of the official Olympic series. Some sports historians continue to treat the results of these games as part of the Olympic canon. [20]

At this event a men's marathon was held over 41.86 km and Canada's Billy Sherring won the competition. John Svanberg, the runner-up in the 1906 5-mile race, was also runner-up in the marathon. American William Frank was the bronze medalist. [21]

GamesGoldSilverBronze
1906 Athens
details
Flag of Canada (1868-1921).svg  Billy Sherring  (CAN)Flag of Sweden (pre-1906).svg  John Svanberg  (SWE)US flag 45 stars.svg  William Frank  (USA)

References

Participation and athlete data
Olympic record progressions
Specific
  1. Athletics at the 1896 Athina Summer Games: Men's Marathon. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-03-12.
  2. Athletics at the 1908 London Summer Games: Men's Marathon. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-03-12.
  3. Athletics at the 1924 Paris Summer Games: Men's Marathon. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-03-12.
  4. Longest Running Marathons. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2014-03-12.
  5. Lovett, Charlie (1997). Prologue: The Legend. Marathon Guide. Retrieved on 2014-03-12.
  6. "Marathon Race". Marathon Run Museum. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  7. "大迫、服部は先頭集団 男子マラソン5キロ通過". Sankei Shimbun. Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  8. "Visualizing the Rio Olympic Marathon Course". Runner's World. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  9. INC, SANKEI DIGITAL (2021-08-08). "大迫、服部は先頭集団 男子マラソン5キロ通過". 産経ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  10. 杉野謙太郎 (2019-10-16). "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 2019-10-16.
  11. Longman, Jeré (7 August 2020). "Eliud Kipchoge finished far ahead of the pack to defend his men's Olympic marathon title". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  12. https://www.olympics.com/ioc/news/paris-2024-reveals-spectacular-olympic-marathon-route-set-against-a-backdrop-of-iconic-landmarks
  13. "Paris 2024 marathon route revealed: A challenging race through history and incredible monuments". Olympics.com. October 5, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  14. Butler, Mark, ed. (2011). 13th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Daegu 2011 (PDF). Monaco: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. pp. 595, 612, 614–615, 705, 707. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 18, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  15. Sometimes listed as representing Luxembourg.
  16. "Paris 1900 marathon men Results - Olympic athletics". olympics.com. IOC . Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  17. Arriving without correct documents, a French immigrant to the United States Albert Corey is inconsistently listed as performing in a mixed team in the four mile team race (with four undisputed Americans) and performing for the US in the marathon. Currently, the IOC attributes his medal in the marathon to France and in the team race to a mixed team.
  18. "St. Louis 1904 Athletics Marathon Men Results". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  19. 1 2 Both Sohn Kee-chung and Nam Sung-yong were from Korea. The IOC attributes both medals to Japan due to Korea being a Japanese colony at the time. All Korean Olympians during the Japanese colonial rule could only participate in the games as a representative of Japan and had to compete with Japanese names instead of their original Korean names. However, some sources still refer to Son Kee-chung as the first Korean to win an Olympic marathon today.
  20. 1906 Athina Summer Games. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
  21. Athletics at the 1906 Athina Summer Games: Men's Marathon. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-03-12.