Bhutanese runner Kinzang Lhamo crossed the finish line of the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics more than 90 minutes after the winner. Despite her late arrival and finishing last place, she was welcomed by a standing ovation from the remaining crowd.
On Sunday morning in Paris, the women’s marathon saw its first finishers, gold medalist Sifan Hassan, followed by Tigst Assefa and Hellen Obiri, around 10:23 a.m. As runners completed the race, the crowd’s energy remained high, cheering each athlete who crossed the line.
By 11:30 a.m., one runner was still on the course—Lhamo from Bhutan.
Lhamo, a member of the Bhutanese military, was competing on a universality entry slot designed to allow athletes from underrepresented countries to participate. This was her first marathon in Europe, and the challenging course took its toll, forcing her to walk at times.
As Lhamo made her way through the final kilometers, her progress was broadcast on the big screen, drawing cheers from spectators who may have never heard of Bhutan. Despite the thinning crowd, a dedicated group of spectators remained to support Lhamo.
By 11:36 a.m., the Olympic medal ceremony was on hold, waiting for her to finish. As she neared the end, a swell of encouragement followed her every step.
Finally, at 11:52 a.m., Lhamo finally appeared within sight of the finish line, and the crowd’s cheers grew louder.
Lhamo crossed the line just before noon, greeted by a wave of applause and support. However, she was exhausted and in need of medical attention for cramps, sitting down, unable to give interviews.
Are You Faster Than An Olympian?
Lhamo completed the women’s Olympic marathon with a time of 3:52:59.
You might be wondering how this compares with the average runner’s marathon time?
According to Run Repeat’s investigation, the overall average marathon time worldwide is 4:29:53.
Breaking it up by sex, the average time to run a marathon for men is 4:21:03, and the average time to run a marathon for women is 4:48:45.
The goal of this study was to look at recreational runners. Therefore, elite runners were omitted when compiling these averages.
While Lhamo finished 90 minutes behind race winner and running legend Sifan Hassan, how does her time compare with the rest of the field?
The average finish time for women in the 2024 Paris Olympic marathon was 2:34:00. However, Lhamo’s time was over an hour slower than average.
Should Lhamo Have Even Been In The Olympics?
First, let’s talk about how Lhamo got to the Olympics in the first place.
Lhamo, from the small country of Bhutan, earned her spot in the Olympic marathon through a universality place.
In athletics, universality places are allocated to countries that fail to qualify a single athlete for any event. These countries can then select an athlete to compete in either the 100m or the marathon, regardless of their qualifying time (or if they’ve even run a marathon at all). The purpose of universality places is to promote internationality in the Olympic Games.
However, the pressing question is whether or not Lhmao should have been allowed to run the Olympic marathon, having never run an international marathon before.
The situation has caused controversy and a divide in answers.
Some argue that the Olympics’ purpose goes beyond sport. Rather, it is about building the Olympic Spirit and bettering the world through sport. And those people aren’t wrong.
The International Olympic Committee states: “The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic Spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity, and fair play.”
However, others argue that although the Olympic Spirit is a major part of why we have the Games, it is unfair and devalues the athletes who have put in ridiculous hours and made countless sacrifices to become the best in the world at their sport.
Although it is not a question that has a clear answer, one thing is certain. As Bhutan’s only female athlete, Kinzang Lhamo did her best to represent her country in her debut marathon. While likely not the result anyone expected of an Olympian, the story certainly demonstrates the IOC’s Olympic Movement.
