The Olympic Marathon through iconic photographs
Discover the trials, battles and conquests that have taken place since the Olympic marathon was first held in Athens in 1896.
JO Los Angeles 1984, Athlétisme, Marathon Femmes - Gabriela ANDERSEN-SCHIESS (SUI) extenuée, finissant la course. (1984-05-08) by Deutsche Presse AgenturThe Olympic Museum
The first women's Olympic marathon
LOS ANGELES 1984.
Swiss athlete Gabriela ANDERSEN-SCHIESS misses the last water station of the race. She has to summon every last ounce of energy to cross the finish line alone.
It takes her 5 minutes and 44 seconds to run the final lap of the track !
JO Los Angeles 1984, Athlétisme, Marathon Hommes - Finale, L'équipe médicale apporte des soins à Marco MARCHEI (ITA) après la course. (1984-12-08) by IOPP / KAMIN-ONCEA, JayneThe Olympic Museum
Close to collapse
LOS ANGELES 1984.
While Swiss athlete ANDERSEN-SCHIESS' stagger to the finish line goes down in history, it isn't just female marathon runners who have succumbed to exhaustion. Italian runner Marco MARCHEI, for instance, finishes 43rd out of 78 in a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes and 38 seconds.
JO Anvers 1920, Athlétisme, marathon - Hannes KOLEHMAINEN (FIN) 1e entre dans le stade. by International Olympic Committee (IOC)The Olympic Museum
ANTWERP 1920
Finnish athlete Hannes KOLEHMAINEN enters the stadium to resounding cheers from the crowd after leading the race from start to finish. Kolehmainen, the first of a generation of great long-distance runners from Finland, later has the honour of lighting the Olympic torch in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in 1952.
JO Helsinki 1952, Athlétisme, marathon Hommes - Dietrich ENGELHARDT (GER). by Comité International Olympique (CIO)The Olympic Museum
HELSINKI 1952
German athlete Dietrich ENGELHARDT is just over halfway through the race, as shown on the distance marker.
This is when athletes really get into the race, with mindset playing a crucial role in the final standings. Engelhardt finishes in 30th place in a time of 2 hours, 39 minutes and 37 seconds.
JO Los Angeles 1984, Athlétisme, marathon Femmes - Joan BENOIT (USA) 1e. (1984-05-08) by IOPPThe Olympic Museum
LOS ANGELES 1984
On 5 August 1984, American athlete Joan BENOIT etches her name in Olympic history by winning the first ever women's marathon. She completes the race in an impressive time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 52 seconds.
While this is her first Olympic victory, Benoit previously won the prestigious Boston Marathon in 1979 and 1983.
JO Los Angeles 1984, Athlétisme, Marathon Hommes - Finale, Carlos LOPES (POR) 1e après sa victoire. (1984-12-08) by Deutsche Presse AgenturThe Olympic Museum
LOS ANGELES 1984
Portuguese athlete Carlos LOPES seals victory and sets a new Olympic record with a time of 2 hours, 9 minutes and 21 seconds. Just a year later, in Rotterdam, Lopes breaks the world record again, shaving an impressive 53 seconds off his previous time. African athletes will dominate the world records in the coming years.
JO Londres 2012, Athlétisme, marathon Femmes - Pendant la course. (2012-05-08) by International Olympic Committee (IOC) / FURLONG, ChristopherThe Olympic Museum
LONDON 2012
Event organisers designed a course that takes athletes past iconic city landmarks, including the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral and Big Ben.
JO Los Angeles 1984, Athlétisme, marathon Hommes - Les athlètes. (1984-05-08) by Kishimoto/IOCThe Olympic Museum
LOS ANGELES 1984
The marathon sets off from Santa Monica College. Athletes have to complete two laps of the track before leaving the stadium and rejoining the road to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, after 42.195 kilometres.
JO Rio 2016, Athlétisme, marathon Femmes - Une athlète blessée après la course. (2016-08-14) by Comité International Olympique (CIO) / EVANS, JasonThe Olympic Museum
Recovery
Rio 2006.
This athlete sits on ice packs to recover after her race.
JO Londres 2012, Athlétisme, marathon Hommes - Après la course, des volontaires rafraîchissent et massent Carles CASTILLEJO (ESP). (2012-12-08) by Comité International Olympique (CIO) / FURLONG, ChristopherThe Olympic Museum
LONDON 2012
At the marathon finish line, volunteers offer drinks and a massage to Spanish runner Carles CASTILLEJO, who finished 26th in a time of 2 hours, 16 minutes and 17 seconds. It seems to bring the athlete great relief !
JO Helsinki 1952, Athlétisme, marathon Hommes - Emil ZATOPEK (TCH) 1e reçoit un baiser de sa femme après avoir remporté la médaille d'or. (1952-07-27) by United ArchivesThe Olympic Museum
HELSINKI 1952
Czechoslovak athlete Emil ZÁTOPEK is congratulated by his wife after winning gold in the marathon, a race he is competing in for the first time.
Dana Zátopková wins the gold medal in the javelin just an hour after her husband's victory in the 5,000 metres.
JO Tokyo 2020, Athlétisme, marathon Hommes - Eliud KIPCHOGE (KEN) 1e. (2021-08-08) by Comité International Olympique (CIO) / DAVIDSON, AlexThe Olympic Museum
TOKYO 2020
Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge has just secured his second Olympic title.
Some already consider him the greatest marathon runner of all time : the holder of two Olympic titles, a world record in 2018 in Berlin in 2 hours, 1 minute and 39 seconds, and in 2019 in Vienna, in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds (unofficial).
JO Tokyo 1964, Athlétisme, marathon Hommes - Abebe BIKILA (ETH) 1e. (1964-10-21) by Kishimoto/IOCThe Olympic Museum
TOKYO 1964
Ethiopian athlete Abebe BIKILA defies the odds and dominates the marathon, despite undergoing surgery for acute appendicitis just 35 days earlier. He triumphs with a new record time of 2 hours, 12 minutes and 11 seconds. In contrast to his barefoot victory at Rome 1960, Bikila runs this race wearing shoes.
JO Munich 1972, Athlétisme, marathon Hommes - Frank Charles SHORTER (USA) 1e. (1972-10-09) by Kishimoto/IOCThe Olympic Museum
MUNICH 1972
Crossing the finish line in first place, perfectly relaxed and seemingly unfatigued, American runner Frank SHORTER changes the image of the exhausted marathoner and unintentionally ignites the marathon boom, with New York soon becoming the marathon world capital.
JO Los Angeles 1984, Athlétisme, Marathon Hommes - Finale, Les coureurs passent sous des vaporisateurs d'eau placés le long de la route. (1984-12-08) by IOPP / KELSEY, ThomasThe Olympic Museum
LOS ANGELES 1984
Giant mist sprayers are set up along the route to cool down runners.
JO Amsterdam 1928, Athlétisme, marathon Hommes - La course. (1928-07-19) by International Olympic Committee (IOC)The Olympic Museum
AMSTERDAM 1928
The competitors exit the stadium, ready to tackle the gruelling 42.195 km course.
French athlete El Ouafi BOUGHÈRA wins, crossing the finish line in a time of 2 hours, 32 minutes and 57 seconds.
JO Stockholm 1912, Athlétisme, marathon Hommes - Kennedy MCARTHUR (RSA) 1e porté par des supporters. (1912-07-14) by International Olympic Committee (IOC)The Olympic Museum
STOCKHOLM 1912
South African athlete Kennedy McARTHUR: the unstoppable winner !
Exhausted no doubt by the sweltering heat, he crosses the finishing tape and continues to run. Officials have to inform him that the race is over. McArthur then collapses on the grass.
JO Los Angeles 1932, Athlétisme, Marathon - Juan Carlos ZABALA (ARG) 1e passe la ligne d'arrivée. (1932-07-08) by International Olympic Committee (IOC)The Olympic Museum
LOS ANGELES 1932
With a remarkable finishing time of 2 hours, 21 minutes and 36 seconds, 21-year-old Argentine Juan Carlos ZABALA doesn't yet know that he has just broken the Olympic record for the marathon . He remains the youngest winner of the event in the history of the modern Games.
For more information about the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, visit
https://olympics.com/museum
