PREVIEW: 2024 Women’s Olympic Marathon

 Follow our live coverage of the men’s Olympic Marathon HERE. 

Want to know our predictions for the 2024 Paris Olympic Marathon? We talked about it on the Marathon Handbook Podcast.

This is the final event in athletics of the Olympic Games, and it promises to be a thrilling contest between the powerhouses of Ethiopia and Kenya. The field is packed with talent, setting the stage for a fierce battle for the podium.

Ethiopia is led by Tigist Assefa, the current world record holder, known for her incredible speed. However, the question remains: can she conquer the challenging hills of the course? And how will she deal with a championship-style race with no pacers that is equally about tactics as it is about fitness?

Joining her are Megertu Alemu, who clocked an impressive 2:16 to secure fourth place in the 2024 London Marathon, and Amane Beriso Shankule, the 2023 World Champion and 2022 Valencia Marathon winner with a personal best of 2:14, the fifth-fastest time ever by a woman. Shankule also has a runner-up finish in Boston to her name.

Kenya’s lineup is equally as impressive.

Reigning Olympic Champion Peres Jepchirchir, fresh off a 2:16 victory at the 2024 London Marathon, where she also set the women’s-only world record, has proven herself on both hilly and flat courses.

She is joined by Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi, both of whom have also tasted success in Boston and New York, making them strong contenders if they are in top form.

Obiri has proven her consistency and ability to thrive on challenging courses, with two wins in Boston and one in New York. She’s a racing veteran, having already attended the two previous editions in Tokyo and Rio. However, this will be Obiri’s first time taking on the marathon at the Olympics.

The Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan is always a thrilling name to watch in the race. She will take on the marathon after competing in the 10,000m less than 48 hours prior, where she claimed bronze and also won bronze in the 5000m earlier in the week. As the second-fastest female marathoner ever, her greatest competitor will be her grueling Olympic schedule.

The Paris Olympic Marathon Course

The Paris 2024 Olympic Marathon course is not for the faint-hearted. Unlike recent Olympic marathons that featured flat, looped courses, this marathon presents a significant challenge with its varied terrain and elevation changes.

The route’s elevation gain of 1,430 feet (436 meters) is almost double that of the hilliest World Marathon Majors, such as Boston and New York City, which both feature around 800 feet of elevation gain.

The first significant challenge comes just before the 10-mile mark, where runners will encounter a steep climb with a 4% grade lasting about 1.25 miles. This is followed by an even steeper climb at the 12-mile mark, with a 5% grade over 900 meters. 

However, these hills are just a prelude to the main challenge of the course: a brutal climb just after the 18-mile mark, where the gradient reaches a punishing 10.5% over 600 meters.

The course also includes a total descent of 1,437 feet (438 meters), which may prove to be just as challenging as the climbs. 

After the final uphill section, runners will have to navigate a sharp descent with a gradient of up to -13.5%. This downhill portion will require careful pacing and control, as excessive pounding on the quads could lead to fatigue and muscle damage before the final flat stretch to the finish line.

How To Watch The 2024 Paris Olympic Marathon

The 2024 Olympic Games will be broadcast live from Paris via Peacock, which will require a monthly subscription ($5.99), and you are geolocated in the United States.

With NBC holding the broadcast rights to the games, you can also stream online via NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, the NBC app, or the NBC Olympics app, provided you can authenticate your cable subscription.

Live and tape-delayed coverage of track and field will be shown on TV channels NBC, USA, and E!

If you’re not able to watch your favorite athletes or events live, you can still catch all the action with full event replays on the NBCOlympics.com Replays Hub.

2024 Women’s Olympic Marathon Startlist

Name	Country	Personal Best
Mergertu Alemu	ETH	2:16:34
Tigst Assefa	ETH	2:11:53
Li Bai	CHN	2:26:33
Munkhzaya Bayartsogt	MGL	2:24:45
Helen Bekele	SUI	2:19:44
Bojana Bjeljac	CRO	2:23:39
Florencia Borelli	ARG	2:24:18
Rosa Alva Chacha	ECU	2:26:34
Mercyline Chelangat	UGA	2:24:12
Rose Chelimo	BRN	2:23:12
Rebecca Cheptegei	UGA	2:22:47
Stella Chesang	UGA	2:20:23
Eunice Chumba	BRN	2:20:02
Citlali Cristian Moscote	MEX	2:24:53
Sinead Diver	AUS	2:21:34
Malindi Elmore	CAN	2:23:30
Giovann Epis	ITA	2:23:46
Clara Evans	BGR	2:25:04
Kaoutar Farkoussi	MAR	2:25:35
Camille French	NZL	2:26:08
Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh	MGL	2:26:32
Fatima Gardadi	MAR	2:24:12
Tigist Gashaw	BRN	2:24:39
Mary Granja	ECU	2:26:34
Genevieve Gregson	AUS	2:23:08
Rose Harvey	GBR	2:23:21
Sifan Hassan	NED	2:13:44
Calli Hauger-Thackery	GBR	2:22:17
Chloé Herbiet	BEL	2:24:56
Margarita Hernandez Flores	MEX	2:25:54
Laura Hottenrott	GER	2:24:32
Tereza Hrochová	CZE	2:26:38
Mao Ichiyama	JPN	2:20:29
Peres Jepchirchir	KEN	2:16:16
Helalia Johannes	NAM	2:19:52
Mélody Julien	FRA	2:25:01
Melat Kejeta	GER	2:21:47
Kinzang Lhamo	BHU	DEBUT
Dakotah Lindwurm	USA	2:24:40
Aleksandra Lisowska	POL	2:25:52
Sharon Lokedi	KEN	2:23:23
Anne Luijten	NED	2:26:36
Ajida Maayouf	ESP	2:21:01
Angelika Mach	POL	2:26:19
Honami Maeda	JPN	2:18:59
Mokulubete Makatisi	LES	2:30:54
Zhanna Mamazhanova	KAZ	2:26:42
Domenika Mayer	GER	2:23:47
Julia Mayer	AUT	2:26:43
Fionnuala McCormack	IRL	2:23:58
Joan Melly	ROU	2:18:04
Delvine Meringor	ROU	2:20:49
Clementine Mukandanga	RWA	2:25:54
Esther Navarrete	ESP	2:24:40
Rutendo Nyahora	ZIM	2:32:00
Hellen Obiri	KEN	2:25:49
Daiana Ocampo	ARG	2:26:24
Fiona O’Keefe	USA	2:22:10
Cian Oldknow	RSA	2:25:08
Angie Orjuela	COL	2:25:35
Silvia Ortiz Morocho	ECU	2:24:50
Matea Parlov Koštro	CRO	2:25:45
Marie Perrie	MRI	2:26:19
Camilla Richardsson	FIN	2:24:38
Luz Mery Rojas	PER	2:26:47
Méline Rollin	FRA	2:24:12
Jackline Sakilu	TAN	2:21:27
Lonah Salpeter	ISR	2:17:45
Susana Santos	POR	2:25:35
Fabienne Schlumpf	SUI	2:24:30
Amane Shankule	ETH	2:14:58
Magdalena Shauri	TAN	2:18:41
Shantoshi Shrestha	NEP	DEBUT
Emily Sisson	USA	2:18:29
Meritxell Soler	ESP	2:24:57
Jessica Stenson	AUS	2:24:01
Moira Stewartová	CZE	2:25:36
Gerda Steyn	RSA	2:24:03
Yuka Suzuki	JPN	2:24:09
Rahma Tahiri	MAR	2:24:51
Gladys Tejeda	PER	2:25:57
Dolshi Tesfu	ERI	2:20:40
Maor Tiyouri	ISR	2:26:39
Sardana Trofimova	KGZ	2:24:38
Thalia Valdivia	PER	2:25:23
Irvette Van Zyl	RSA	2:26:11
Hanne Verbruggen	BEL	2:26:32
Carolina Wikström	SWE	2:24:30
Mekdes Woldu	FRA	2:24:44
Yuyu Xia	CHN	2:25:45
Sofia Yaremchuk	ITA	2:23:16
Deshun Zhang	CHN	2:24:05