TOLA CONQUERS TOUGHEST COURSE

Ethiopian overcomes uphill difficulties for marathon gold as favourite Kipchoge drops out

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Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola won gold in the men's marathon at the Paris Games on Aug 10 while Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, who had been bidding for an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic crown, failed to finish.

Belgium's Bashir Abdi took silver, improving on his bronze from Tokyo, and Kenya's Benson Kipruto claimed bronze.

Tola built a strong lead early on and crossed the finish line in 2hr 6min 26sec, an Olympic record that is especially impressive given the course was the toughest of any Olympics or championship, according to World Athletics.

"My intention was just to keep up with the people who were going out and then after some point I decided to try to push on my own," Tola said.

"But I was afraid and I was having difficulties when I was climbing the uphill. I felt confident after the 41st kilometre, only one more to go. Until then, I was looking back and I was not sure." The 32-year-old's victory, a first by an Ethiopian in the event in 24 years, was all the more sweet given he was not initially in the team, having been called up after Sisay Lemma withdrew due to a hamstring injury.

Abdi, 35, who began his career competing in the 5,000m and 10,000m, finished in 2:06:47 with 33-year-old Kipruto posting a time of 2:07:00.