Explore the pivotal moments from the men's race at the 2024 London Marathon. The results from this final major marathon during the Olympic qualifying window will have an influence on the Olympic team selections for Kenya and Ethiopia. Additionally, learn about the standout performances that secured spots on Great Britain's Olympic team. Read the full story below.

• Kenyan and Ethiopian Team Selections: Dive into the intense competition and key performances from the 2024 London Marathon and other major marathons that will influence Olympic team selections for Kenya and Ethiopia.
• Standout Performances for Great Britain: Emile Cairess and Mahamed Mahamed finish 3rd and 4th at the London Marathon, securing coveted spots on the Olympic team.
• The Argument for Kenenisa Bekele: Bekele's impressive performance in London enhances his selection prospects, but uncertainty still lingers amid the competition from other highly qualified Ethiopian athletes.

2024 London Marathon Men's Race Results Factor in Olympic Team Selection

The 2024 London Marathon concluded on Sunday, April 21st, and while the women's race had much of the spotlight, the men's competition has its own significant implications, particularly concerning the upcoming Olympic marathon in Paris. Athletes like Kenenisa Bekele, Alexander Mutiso Munyao, and Emile Cairess had outstanding performances as they each made their bid to be named to their respective Olympic teams. The selection committees for Great Britain, Ethiopia and Kenya each face the tough task of choosing the best athletes to represent their countries this summer in Paris.

Making the Olympic Team in the Marathon

As mentioned in our article highlighting the women's results, only Japan and the USA hold a special trials race to select their Olympic Marathon squads. Nations like Kenya and Ethiopia rely on their respective federations to choose the teams. And with the London Marathon, being the last major marathon before the Olympic team selection deadline, it carries a lot of weight in the selection process.

For the USA, securing a spot on the Olympic team requires finishing in the top three at the trials and meeting the qualifying standard. Leonard Korir's case exemplifies the stringent criteria. Despite his top-three finish at the 2024 Olympic Marathon trials, he fell short of meeting the Olympic standard within the qualifying window. Despite his impressive past performances, including a 2:07:56 performance in 2019, Korir will not get to represent the US in Paris.

With each country limited to three runners and a deep list of potential team members, the competition for these coveted spots for Ethiopia and Kenya is fierce.

The Men's Race - How it Unfolded

In the men's race, only five athletes managed to achieve the Olympic qualifying standard by running faster than 2:08:10. The winner, Alexander Mutiso Munyao's won in a time of 2:04:01, followed closely by Kenenisa Bekele who finished second-place in 2:04:15, setting a new Masters world record at the age of 42.

At the halfway point of the race, the men's field saw some attrition with five of the top 10 runners dropping out and two others struggling with positive splits. As the race progressed, pre-race favorite Tamirat Tola faltered around the 30K mark. When this happened , Alexander Mutiso Munyao capitalized on the opportunity. Munyao matched the pace of veteran Kenenisa Bekele and eventually surged ahead to claim his first TCS London Marathon title.

Emile Cairess of Great Britain displayed remarkable resilience, making a late surge to climb from 8th place to an impressive 3rd place finish with a time of 2:06:46. His countryman, Mahamed Mahamed finished in fourth place in a time of 02:07:05.

Bekele Sets New Master's World Record Finishing 2nd Place

Kenenisa Bekele's performance in London, coupled with his impressive resume on the track and in cross country, has fans all over the world wondering if he'll be left off his Olympic team again. In addition to his resume as a three-time Olympic gold medalist and his recent sub-2:05 performances in Valencia and now London, the argument for Bekele's inclusion on Ethiopia's team is easy to make. He's also the only Ethiopian to have broken 2:05 in both 2023 and 2024. Even with these performances and credentials, the very stiff competition and limited team slots for his team.

Top Contenders for Ethiopia's Olympic Team

Ethiopia's selection dilemma revolves around choosing the three best-performing athletes but there are six clear candidates:

• Sisay Lemma – 2:01:48 (Valencia 2023)
• Takele Bikila – 2:03:24 (Berlin 2023)
• Deresa Geleta – 2:03:27 (Seville 2024)
• Tamirat Tola – 2:03:39 (Berlin 2023)
• Dawit Wolde – 2:03:48 (Valencia 2023)
• Kenenisa Bekele – 2:04:15 (London 2024)

Lemma's recent victories and consistent performances make him a strong contender. Bekele's second Sub-2:05 performance in less than 6 months makes the selection process even more difficult. He ran 2:04:19 for fourth-place at the Valencia Marathon in December 2023 and 2:04:15 for second-place in London on April 21st, 2024. If they select based on time, Bekele is 5th fastest on the list based on marathon performances from 2023 and 2024.

Even though Dawit Wolde beat Bekele in Valencia, he didn't finish the race in London. This will likely lower his chances of selection. Takele Bikila hasn't raced at all this spring. His 2:03:24 debut in Berlin last year makes him a strong candidate, but his absence from the racing scene this spring doesn't help his case for selection. Deresa Geleta had an outstanding performance in February at Seville winning in a time of 2:03:27. Tamirat Tola has a personal best of 2:03:39 and a recent course record performance at last fall's New York City Marathon, running 2:04:58.

As you can see, Ethiopia's selection committee has a lot of strong athletes to choose from for their team of three for Paris. And these six athletes, as long as they're healthy, aren't making it easy for them.

Top Contenders for Kenya's Olympic Team

Kenya's options for their team is equally as competitive, with athletes like Alexander Mutiso Munyao and Eliud Kipchoge leading the pack. Mutiso's victory in London solidifies his claim for a spot on the Olympic team, while Kipchoge's long career of historic wins and performances make him a top choice for the team. Additionally, competing in Paris would give him the opportunity to win a third Olympic gold medal in the event. Kenya is highly unlikely to pass up the opportunity for him to achieve this feat.

Kenya's short list for the Men's marathon team include the following athletes:

• Eliud Kipchoge – 2:01:09 (Berlin 2022)
• Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich – 2:03:13 (Berlin 2023)
• Timothy Kipglagat – 2:02:55 (Tokyo 2024)
• Benson Kipruto – 2:02:16 (Tokyo 2024)
• Alexander Mutiso – 2:03:11 (Valencia 2023)

All five men have personal bests under 2:03:15. Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich stands out thanks to his second place performance at the 2023 Berlin Marathon. He finished just behind Kipchoge, clocking a personal best of 2:03:13. Timothy Kipglagat secured a second place at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon with a personal best time of 2:02:55, which makes him a strong candidate as well. Benson Kipruto is a seasoned marathon champion with multiple wins at prestigious events like the Boston and Tokyo Marathons and a personal best of 2:02:16. And there's Alexander Mutiso, who made a strong case with his victory at the London Marathon and impressive runner-up finish at the 2023 Valencia Marathon in a time of 2:03:11.

Cairess and Mahamed Make Great Britain's Team

Great Britain's marathon team saw new faces emerge to claim their spot on their country's Olympic team. Emile Cairess's impressive third-place finish in London secured his ticket to Paris. He ran 2:08:07 in his debut marathon at the 2023 London Marathon and improved upon that time by well over a minute, finishing in a time of 2:06:46 in 2024. Emile Cairess became the first Brit to make the podium since Sir Mo Farah 2018.

Mahamed Mahamed's fourth-place finish secured his place as the third and final team member for Great Britain's Men's marathon team. Philip Sesemann is already on the team after running inside the qualification standard (2:08:10) at the Seville Marathon in February, finishing 17th in 2:08:04.

Men's Results - Top 15 Finishers

1. Alexander Mutiso MUNYAO (KEN) - 02:04:01 - $55,000
2. Kenenisa BEKELE (ETH) - 02:04:15 - $30,000
3. Emile CAIRESS (GBR) - 02:06:46 - $22,500
4. Mahamed MAHAMED (GBR) - 02:07:05 - $15,000
5. Hassan CHANDI (FRA) - 02:07:30 - $10,000
6. Henok TESFAY (ERI) - 02:09:22 - $7,500
7. Hendrik PFEIFFER (GER) - 02:10:00 - $5,000
8. Kinde ATANAW (ETH) - 02:10:03 - $4,000
9. Johannes MOTSCHMANN (GER) - 02:10:39 - $3,000
10. Brian SHRADER (USA) - 02:10:50 - $2,000
11. Marc SCOTT (GBR) - 2:11:19 - $1,500
12. Alexander LEPRETRE (GBR) - 2:15:34 - $1,000
13. Stephen SCULLION (IRL) - 2:16:04
14. James HOAD (GBR) - 2:16:29
15. Juan Luis BARRIOS (MEX) - 2:16:37

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