The Men's Marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

 was held on Sunday August 4, 1996. The race started at 07.05h local time to avoid excessively hot and humid conditions. A total number of 111 athletes completed the race, with an injured and limping Abdel Baser Wasiqi from Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

 finishing in last position in 4'24:17.

There were a total of 124 competitors from 79 countries. Thirteen competitors did not finish. The medal ceremony took place during the Closing Ceremony which they did again in Athens

2004 Summer Olympics

The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...

 eight years later.
The Race

There weren't a lot of favorites in the event. The race started at a Olympic stadium and after 3 1/2 laps of the track they started on the out and back course through Atlanta. There was a large group of about 60 in front. It wasn't until mile 15 that things started to get stirred up. The South Africans made a wall at the front and proceeded to increase the pace. They were joined by Lee Bong- Ju. The race continued as such until mile 17. Josia Thugwane made a move and was joined by Lee Bong-Ju. Meanwhile, Erick Wainaina joined the two in front. The three switched leads several times until Thugwane made a move outside Olympic stadium. He took through the tunnel while Lee Bong-Ju passed the Kenyan. It was the closest finish in olympic history but Thugwane maintained his lead in the last mile to take the gold medallion in 2:12:36. Lee Bong-Ju took silver and Wainaina bronze.

Medalists

Abbreviations

• All times shown are in hours:minutes:seconds

  DNS	did not start
  NM	no mark
  OR	olympic record
  WR	world record
  AR	area record
  NR	national record
  PB	personal best
  SB	season best

Records

Standing records prior to the 1996 Summer Olympics
World Record World records in athletics World records in the sport of athletics are ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations. Athletics records comprise the best performances in the sports of track and field, road running and racewalking....		2:06:50	April 17, 1988	Rotterdam, Netherlands
Olympic Record		2:09:21	August 12, 1984	Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Season Best		2:08:25	March 24, 1996	Kyong-Ju, South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

Final ranking

Rank	Athlete	Time	Note
		2:12:36
		2:12:39
		2:12:44
4		2:13:20
5		2:13:39
6		2:14:29
7		2:14:35
8		2:14:55
9		2:15:08
10		2:15:55
11		2:15:56
12		2:16:17
13		2:16:31
14		2:16:41
15		2:16:48
16		2:17:01
17		2:17:04
18		2:17:24
19		2:17:26
20		2:17:27
21		2:17:28
22		2:17:40
23		2:17:42:
24		2:17:49
25		2:18:03
26		2:18:06
27		2:18:09
28		2:18:17
29		2:18:26
30		2:18:29
31		2:18:38
32		2:18:41
33		2:18:55
34		2:19:35
35		2:19:39
36		2:19:41
37		2:19:51
38		2:19:54
39		2:19:56
40		2:20:19
41		2:20:27
42		2:20:33
43		2:20:37
44		2:20:39
45		2:20:48
46		2:20:58
47		2:21:01
48		2:21:12
49		2:21:22
50		2:21:45
51		2:21:50
52		2:22:04
53		2:22:11
54		2:22:13
55		2:22:37
56		2:23:03
57		2:23:04
58		2:23:14
59		2:23:24
60		2:22:28
61		2:23:41
62		2:23:43
63		2:23:59
64		2:24:27
65		2:24:45
66		2:24:49
67		2:25:04
68		2:25:12:
69		2:25:29
70		2:25:41
71		2:25:56
72		2:26:02
73		2:26:53
74		2:27:04
75		2:27:20
76		2:27:52:
77		2:28:36
78		2:28:49
79		2:28:50
80		2:29:06
81		2:29:45
82		2:29:55
83		2:30:35
84		2:30:49
85		2:30:57
86		2:31:05
87		2:31:28
88		2:32:12:
89		2:32:35
90		2:32:55
91		2:33:08
92		2:33:11
93		2:33:27
94		2:34:13
95		2:34:16
96		2:34:40
97		2:35:55
98		2:36:01
99		2:37:02:
100		2:37:10
101		2:40:41	NR
102		2:41:56
103		2:42:07
104		2:44:10
105		2:47:10
106		2:47:15
107		2:47:38
108		2:48:26
109		2:51:41
110		2:59:55
111		4:24:17
DID NOT FINISH (DNF)
—		DNF
—		DNF
—		DNF
—		DNF
—		DNF
—		DNF
—		DNF
—		DNF
—		DNF
—		DNF
—		DNF
—		DNF
—		DNF

See also

• 1995 Men's World Championships Marathon
  1995 World Championships in Athletics - Men's Marathon
  The Men's Marathon at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden was held on Saturday August 12, 1995.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:*All times shown are in hours:minutes:seconds-Records:-Final ranking:-See also:...
  
  
• 1996 Marathon Year Ranking
• 1997 Men's World Championships Marathon
  1997 World Championships in Athletics - Men's Marathon
  The Men's Marathon at the 1997 World Championships in Athens, Greece was held on Sunday August 10, 1997.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:*All times shown are in hours:minutes:seconds-Records:-Final ranking:-See also:...