Ethiopia
2024
A marathon gold 24 years in the making, a silver lost by three seconds, and the OLY kit that ran in Paris.
Ethiopia won four athletics medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics — one gold and three silver — led by Tamirat Tola's Olympic-record 2:06:26 in the men's marathon.
This is that season through Paris: the late replacement who won the marathon, the three seconds that cost the women's title, and the Adidas Ethiopia Pro Elite 2024 kit, including the OLY editions the team wore at the Games.
Part of our Season Series — one year at a time. The full national story is in The History of Athletics in Ethiopia. Jump to the 2024 kit or browse the collection.
- Games
- Olympic Games, Paris, 26 July – 11 August 2024
- Athletics medals
- 4 — 1 gold, 3 silver
- Gold
- Tamirat Tola, men's marathon, 2:06:26 Olympic record
- Record broken
- Samuel Wanjiru's 2:06:32 from Beijing 2008, after 16 years
- Backstory
- Tola was a late replacement for the injured Sisay Lemma
- Drought ended
- First Ethiopian Olympic marathon title since Abera, Sydney 2000
- Closest call
- Assefa 2nd in the women's marathon, 3 seconds behind Sifan Hassan
- Kit
- Adidas Ethiopia Pro Elite 2024 — 5 pieces, OLY and standard
The 2024 season in short
Ethiopia's 2024 season was built around the Paris Olympics, and it came down to the roads. Four athletics medals — one gold and three silver — and the gold was a marathon title the country had been waiting 24 years for.
- GoldTamirat Tola — Men's marathon2:06:26 · Olympic record
- SilverTigst Assefa — Women's marathon2:22:58
- SilverTsige Duguma — Women's 800m
- SilverBerihu Aregawi — Men's 10,000m
Paris: 21 seconds one way, 3 seconds the other
Tamirat Tola was not supposed to run. He entered the Olympic marathon as a late replacement for the injured Sisay Lemma, and on 10 August he won it in 2:06:26 over one of the hardest courses the race has used, with the climb out through the western suburbs. The time took the Olympic record off Samuel Wanjiru, whose 2:06:32 from Beijing had lasted 16 years.
He beat Bashir Abdi of Belgium by 21 seconds and Benson Kipruto of Kenya by 34. It was Ethiopia's first Olympic men's marathon title since Gezahegne Abera won in Sydney in 2000.
The next morning the women's marathon went the other way by the narrowest margin of the championships. Tigst Assefa finished second in 2:22:58, three seconds behind Sifan Hassan, who took gold for the Netherlands in an Olympic record 2:22:55. Hellen Obiri was third in 2:23:10. Assefa came into Paris as the world record holder over the distance, with the 2:11:53 she had run in Berlin in 2023 — a record she no longer holds, since Ruth Chepngetich ran 2:09:56 in Chicago that October.
Paris 2024 marathon podiums — data table
| Race | Position | Athlete | Nation | Time | Behind winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s marathon | 1st | Tamirat Tola | ETH | 2:06:26 | — |
| Men’s marathon | 2nd | Bashir Abdi | BEL | 2:06:47 | +21s |
| Men’s marathon | 3rd | Benson Kipruto | KEN | 2:07:00 | +34s |
| Women’s marathon | 1st | Sifan Hassan | NED | 2:22:55 | — |
| Women’s marathon | 2nd | Tigst Assefa | ETH | 2:22:58 | +3s |
| Women’s marathon | 3rd | Hellen Obiri | KEN | 2:23:10 | +15s |
The two other silvers came on the track: Tsige Duguma in the 800m and Berihu Aregawi in the 10,000m.
The kit: Adidas Ethiopia Pro Elite 2024
Ethiopia raced 2024 in the Adidas Ethiopia Pro Elite 2024 cycle — the green, gold and red federation kit. An Olympic year is the one case where a single season carries more than one design.
OLY editions and standard 2024 are different garments. For the Games, adidas produces a dedicated OLY run — the pieces the team actually wore in Paris, marked OLY on the tag. Alongside them sit the standard competition pieces from the same 2024 cycle. Both are “2024”, so we keep them separated and labelled in the rail below.
This is a small rail and it is getting smaller. Ethiopian Pro Elite kit reaches the open market in very low numbers to begin with, and the Olympic pieces are the ones that go first.
Worn in Paris · in the archiveAdidas Ethiopia Pro Elite 2024 OLY Women Distance SingletThe OLY distance singlet from the Paris cycle.140,00 €View piece →
Standard 2024 issue · in the archiveAdidas Ethiopia Pro Elite 2024 Women Distance SingletThe standard 2024 distance singlet from the same season.120,00 €View piece →Ethiopia Pro Elite 2024
Every piece we hold from the Adidas Ethiopia Pro Elite 2024 cycle, with the Olympic OLY issue separated from the standard 2024 pieces. Athlete-issued kit, very low numbers, no restock. In stock first; sold-out pieces stay visible so you can see what the cycle contained.
Adidas Ethiopia Pro Elite 2024 Women Distance Singlet120,00 €View Piece →
Adidas Ethiopia Pro Elite 2024 Women Distance Competition BriefsSold out · check back soonView Piece →Adidas Ethiopia Pro Elite 2024 OLY Women Distance Singlet140,00 €View Piece →OLY · Olympic issue
Adidas Ethiopia Pro Elite 2024 OLY Sleeveless SpeedsuitSold out · check back soonView Piece →OLY · Olympic issue
Adidas Ethiopia Pro Elite 2024 OLY Running CapSold out · check back soonView Piece →How many medals did Ethiopia win in athletics at the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Four: one gold and three silver. Tamirat Tola won the men's marathon; Tigst Assefa (marathon), Tsige Duguma (800m) and Berihu Aregawi (10,000m) took silver.
What was Tamirat Tola's winning time in the Paris Olympic marathon?
2:06:26, an Olympic record. It beat Samuel Wanjiru's 2:06:32 from Beijing 2008, which had lasted 16 years. Tola finished 21 seconds ahead of Bashir Abdi and 34 ahead of Benson Kipruto.
Was Tamirat Tola a late replacement in Paris?
Yes. He was added to the Ethiopian squad in place of the injured Sisay Lemma and went on to win. It was Ethiopia's first Olympic men's marathon gold since Gezahegne Abera won in Sydney in 2000.
Did Tigst Assefa hold the marathon world record when she ran in Paris?
She did at the time — 2:11:53, set in Berlin in 2023 — but she no longer does. Ruth Chepngetich ran 2:09:56 in Chicago in October 2024, and that is the mark on the books.
What is the difference between the OLY and standard 2024 Ethiopia kit?
They are different garments from the same cycle. The OLY run is the Olympic-specific issue that the team wore in Paris, marked OLY on the tag; the standard 2024 pieces are the regular competition issue for that season. Both are labelled “2024”, which is why we separate them.
Sources and References
- World Athletics — Ethiopia's late sub Tola wins the marathon in an Olympic record — the winning time, the margins and the late call-up
- Olympics.com — Tamirat Tola, the late replacement who won marathon gold for Ethiopia — replacement for Sisay Lemma and the Ethiopian drought
- Wikipedia — Ethiopia at the 2024 Summer Olympics — the full medal tally
- Wikipedia — Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics, men's marathon — Gezahegne Abera's 2:10:11 in Sydney
- ESPN — Assefa and the women's marathon record — her record history before and after Paris