With just over two months until the qualification window for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games Marathon closes, athletes around the world are seeking their final opportunities to run under the stringent Olympic A standards.
Set at 2:08:10 for the men and 2:26:50 for the women, the qualification standards are the fastest they’ve ever been.
This weekend in Seville, Spain, the 2024 Zurich Seville Marathon gave some runners a prime opportunity to sneak below the elusive standards.
The circuit would take runners through a number of historic features in the area and is the flattest marathon in Europe, having promise for some blazing fast times.
The race followed countless storylines in the men’s and women’s races, with some runners aiming and hitting Olympic standards, punching their ticket to Paris, and even some record-breaking performances.
Rory Linkletter Hits Olympic Standard
After starting his 2024 season at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, where he clocked an impressive personal best of 1:01:02, Canadian runner Rory Linkletter set his sights on a bigger goal.
Shortly after his season opener in Houston, Linkletter announced he would be racing the Seville Marathon with the goal of running under the 2:08:10 Olympic A standard.
Crossing the finish line in Seville in 13th place, Linkletter stopped the clock at 2:08:01, just sneaking under Olympic standard.
Not only did Linkletter run under Olympic standard, his time of 2:08:01 is a massive personal best of over two minutes from his previous best of 2:10:24, which he set in 2022.
Deresa Geleta Sets New Course Record
It was a dream day for Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta.
The runner from Ethiopia took the top spot on the podium, running a course record and personal best along the way. Geleta finished in 2:03:27, 20 seconds ahead of the second-place runner, Morhad Amdouni.
Like Linkletter, Geleta took over two minutes off of his previous personal best of 2:05:51, which he set at the Dubai Marathon in 2023.
Israeli Runner Sets New National Record
In the men’s race, Gashau Ayale of Israel not only broke his own national record but also punched his ticket to Paris.
Rounding out the podium in third place, Ayale clocked an impressive time of 2:04:53, improving his previous national record by 40 seconds, which he set in the exact same marathon last year.
Ayale becomes the second Israeli runner to earn a spot in the marathon at the Paris Olympic Games this summer. Compatriot Maru Teferi secured his place at the Olympics after earning a historic silver medal at the World Athletics Championships marathon last year in Budapest.
Ayale, speaking to Y-Net News of his third place, said, “I am so happy to get the ticket to the Olympic Games,” he continued, “It is the dream of every athlete to reach the Olympics.”
20 Women Run Under Olympic A Standard
The women’s field at the Seville Marathon brought the heat.
The race was fast from the get-go, with many women having one goal in mind: hitting that Olympic A standard.
An incredible 20 women clocked under the elusive 2:26:50 to make their bids for spots in Paris.
Although some of the top 20 athletes were from nations that had already “unlocked” their three guaranteed spots, a number of outsider countries managed to secure spots in the Olympics that were not already secured or that have a smaller pool of athletes to select from for the Games.
This included athletes from Brunei, Sweden, Morocco, Argentina, Belgium, and Ecuador, to name a few.
Claiming the top spot in the women’s race was Azmera Gebru of Ethiopia, clocking 2:22:13. Kenya’s Josephine Chepkoech took second with a time of 2:22:38. Her compatriot Magdalyne Masai rounded out the podium in 2:22:51.
French Duo Runs A Pair Of National Records
It was a historic day for the French runners at the Seville Marathon.
Both Morhad Amdouni and Méline Rollin took down the men’s and women’s French marathon records, respectively.
Amdouni, 35, took second place just 20 seconds behind Geleta, with a time of 2:03:47. Amdouni broke his own French record of 2:05:22, which he previously set in the 2022 Paris Marathon.
Rollin placed seventh in the women’s field, clocking a time of 2:24:12. She took down the previous French record of 2:24:22, set by Christelle Daunay in 2010, which stood for 14 years.
Both athletes are eligible to represent France in the marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The 2024 Seville Marathon was full of triumphant storylines for athletes from across the globe. From Olympic standards, national records, and course records, the flattest marathon in Europe proved to be the perfect stage for some of the world’s best marathoners to clock some blazing times.
Find the top ten men and women from the 2024 Seville Marathon below!
Men’s Top Ten
- Deresa Geleta Ulfata – 2:03:26
- Morhad Amdouni – 2:03:46
- Gashau Ayale – 2:04:52
- Yemaneberhan Crippa – 2:06:05
- Tefese Delelegn Abebe – 2:06:10
- Ghirmay Ghebreslassie – 2:06:48
- Christian Zamora – 2:06:53
- Eyob Faniel – 2:07:07
- Melaku Belachew Bizuneh – 2:07:27
- Suldan Hassan – 2:07:35
Women’s Top Ten
- Azmera Gebru Hagos – 2:22:13
- Josephine Chepkoech – 2:22:38
- Magdalyne Masai – 2:22:51
- Habela Genet Abdurkadir – 2:23:14
- Derartu Hailu Gerefa – 2:23:18
- Antonina Kwambai – 2:23:47
- Dalilia Abdulkadir Goas – 2:24:02
- Meline Rollin – 2:24:12
- Florencia Borelli – 2:24:18
- Carolina Wikstrom – 2:24:30
As someone that runs the Paris marathon I am not surprised Amdouni was able to cut almost 2 minutes – the Paris course is far from flat, there are a few uphill sections and also even some cobblestones, hardly an ideal course profile for fast times.