Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's marathon
Encyclopedia
The Men's Marathon event at the 2004 Summer Olympics
took place on August 29, 2004 in the streets of Athens
, Greece
. The streets were recently painted for the event, which provided an excellent road surface for the athletes. Drawing upon the ancient origins of the race, the marathon began in Marathon, Greece
. It ended at Panathinaiko Stadium
, the stadium used for the 1896 Athens Olympics.
As with previous Olympics
, the marathon marked the end of the 2004 Summer Olympics
and the medal ceremony took place during the Closing Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium.
protester, grappled Vanderlei de Lima
of Brazil
while de Lima was leading the event with around 7 kilometers remaining. Greek spectator Polyvios Kossivas helped Vanderlei free from Horan's grasp and back into his running. De Lima lost about 15 to 20 seconds of time because of the interruption, and finished third in the event with a time of 2:12:11 — winning the bronze medal
. De Lima was awarded the rarely awarded Pierre de Coubertin Medal
for sportsmanship in addition to his bronze. Despite the fact that the incident had seriously hindered his chances of winning the gold or silver medal, he didn't complain and graciously acknowledged the crowd's cheers in the home straight. The protester had a sign on his back that read "The Grand Prix Priest. Israel Fulfilment of Prophecy Says The Bible. The Second Coming is Near." He later apologized for possibly costing de Lima the gold.
The phrase "Grand Prix Priest" refers to Horan's previous protest, in which he ran onto the track at the Silverstone Circuit
during the Formula One
2003 British Grand Prix
, intentionally running directly into the path of oncoming cars.
The Race
The 26.2 mile journey began in Marathon. The big contenders all found themselves in a large leading group that held a modest place through a half marathon. A few tried to surge ahead but the most succsessful was Vanerlei De Lima's attack at 20k. Past 25k, Stefano Baldini raised the tempo taking 7 others with him. Finally, the chase group was widdled down to three, Stefano Baldini, Paul Tergat, and Mebrahtom Keflezighi. After 35k was passed, Paul Tergat cracked, leaving 2 to chase behind. Shortly after, De Lima was attacked by an Irish priest. Stefano Baldini then closed the gap to De Lima while dropping Keflezighi. Baldini moved into the lead and took it home for the gold medal in 2:10:55.
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...
took place on August 29, 2004 in the streets of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. The streets were recently painted for the event, which provided an excellent road surface for the athletes. Drawing upon the ancient origins of the race, the marathon began in Marathon, Greece
Marathon, Greece
Marathon is a town in Greece, the site of the battle of Marathon in 490 BC, in which the heavily outnumbered Athenian army defeated the Persians. The tumulus or burial mound for the 192 Athenian dead that was erected near the battlefield remains a feature of the coastal plain...
. It ended at Panathinaiko Stadium
Panathinaiko Stadium
The Panathinaiko or Panathenaic Stadium , also known as the Kallimarmaro , is an athletic stadium in Athens that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896...
, the stadium used for the 1896 Athens Olympics.
As with previous Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, the marathon marked the end of the 2004 Summer Olympics
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...
and the medal ceremony took place during the Closing Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium.
Incident
The event was marked by an incident in which Cornelius Horan, an IrishIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
protester, grappled Vanderlei de Lima
Vanderlei de Lima
Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima is a former long-distance runner who specialised in marathons. He received international renown after a spectator, a laicized Irish priest, attacked him at the 2004 Summer Olympics marathon while he was leading the race at 35 km...
of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
while de Lima was leading the event with around 7 kilometers remaining. Greek spectator Polyvios Kossivas helped Vanderlei free from Horan's grasp and back into his running. De Lima lost about 15 to 20 seconds of time because of the interruption, and finished third in the event with a time of 2:12:11 — winning the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
. De Lima was awarded the rarely awarded Pierre de Coubertin Medal
Pierre de Coubertin medal
The Pierre de Coubertin medal is a special medal given by the International Olympic Committee to those athletes who demonstrate the spirit of sportsmanship in Olympic events.The medal was inaugurated in 1964 and named in honour of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic...
for sportsmanship in addition to his bronze. Despite the fact that the incident had seriously hindered his chances of winning the gold or silver medal, he didn't complain and graciously acknowledged the crowd's cheers in the home straight. The protester had a sign on his back that read "The Grand Prix Priest. Israel Fulfilment of Prophecy Says The Bible. The Second Coming is Near." He later apologized for possibly costing de Lima the gold.
The phrase "Grand Prix Priest" refers to Horan's previous protest, in which he ran onto the track at the Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
during the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
2003 British Grand Prix
2003 British Grand Prix
The 2003 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 20 July 2003 at the Silverstone Circuit.It was won by polesitter Rubens Barrichello but is probably most well known for a track invasion by the defrocked priest Neil Horan, who ran along Hangar straight, running opposite to the...
, intentionally running directly into the path of oncoming cars.
The Race
The 26.2 mile journey began in Marathon. The big contenders all found themselves in a large leading group that held a modest place through a half marathon. A few tried to surge ahead but the most succsessful was Vanerlei De Lima's attack at 20k. Past 25k, Stefano Baldini raised the tempo taking 7 others with him. Finally, the chase group was widdled down to three, Stefano Baldini, Paul Tergat, and Mebrahtom Keflezighi. After 35k was passed, Paul Tergat cracked, leaving 2 to chase behind. Shortly after, De Lima was attacked by an Irish priest. Stefano Baldini then closed the gap to De Lima while dropping Keflezighi. Baldini moved into the lead and took it home for the gold medal in 2:10:55.
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 2004 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.... |
2:04:55 | September 28, 2003 |  Berlin, Germany |
|
| Olympic Record | 2:09:21 | August 12, 1984 |  Los AngelesLos 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 | 2:06:18 | April 18, 2004 |  LondonLondon London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
|
Final ranking
| Place | Athlete | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
2:10:55 | ||
 |
2:11:29 | SB | |
 |
2:12:11 | ||
| 4 | 2:12:26 | SB | |
| 5 | 2:13:11 | ||
| 6 | 2:13:24 | ||
| 7 | 2:13:30 | ||
| 8 | 2:14:17 | ||
| 9 | 2:14:34 | ||
| 10 | 2:14:45 | ||
| 11 | 2:15:12 | ||
| 12 | 2:15:26 | ||
| 13 | 2:15:28 | ||
| 14 | 2:15:33 | ||
| 15 | 2:15:39 | ||
| 16 | 2:16:08 | ||
| 17 | 2:16:14 | ||
| 18 | 2:16:38 | ||
| 19 | 2:16:55 | ||
| 20 | 2:17:25 | ||
| 21 | 2:17:45 | ||
| 22 | 2:17:50 | ||
| 23 | 2:17:53 | ||
| 24 | 2:17:56 | ||
| 25 | 2:18:09 | ||
| 26 | 2:18:09 | ||
| 27 | 2:18:40 | ||
| 28 | 2:18:46 | ||
| 29 | 2:19:19 | ||
| 30 | 2:19:24 | ||
| 31 | 2:19:26 | ||
| 32 | 2:19:31 | ||
| 33 | 2:19:42 | ||
| 34 | 2:19:43 | ||
| 35 | 2:19:47 | ||
| 36 | 2:19:50 | ||
| 37 | 2:20:20 | ||
| 38 | 2:20:27 | ||
| 39 | 2:20:31 | ||
| 40 | 2:20:38 | ||
| 41 | 2:21:01 | ||
| 42 | 2:21:13 | ||
| 43 | 2:21:14 | ||
| 44 | 2:21:23 | ||
| 45 | 2:21:42 | ||
| 46 | 2:21:53 | ||
| 47 | 2:21:59 | ||
| 48 | 2:22:09 | ||
| 49 | 2:22:32 | ||
| 50 | 2:22:37 | ||
| 51 | 2:22:49 | ||
| 52 | 2:23:07 | ||
| 53 | 2:23:26 | ||
| 54 | 2:23:34 | ||
| 55 | 2:23:34 | ||
| 56 | 2:23:54 | ||
| 57 | 2:23:55 | ||
| 58 | 2:24:54 | ||
| 59 | 2:25:20 | ||
| 60 | 2:25:26 | ||
| 61 | 2:25:29 | ||
| 62 | 2:26:05 | ||
| 63 | 2:27:12 | ||
| 64 | 2:27:13 | ||
| 65 | 2:27:17 | ||
| 66 | 2:27:31 | ||
| 67 | 2:28:18 | ||
| 68 | 2:29:07 | ||
| 69 | 2:29:43 | ||
| 70 | 2:30:19 | ||
| 71 | 2:31:12 | ||
| 72 | 2:31:41 | ||
| 73 | 2:31:51 | ||
| 74 | 2:33:02 | ||
| 75 | 2:33:24 | ||
| 76 | 2:34:02 | ||
| 77 | 2:34:02 | ||
| 78 | 2:36:22 | ||
| 79 | 2:40:10 | ||
| 80 | 2:44:19 | ||
| 81 | 2:50:26 | ||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNF | |||
| DNS |
See also
- 2003 Men's World Championships Marathon2003 World Championships in Athletics - Men's MarathonThe Men's Marathon at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, France was held on Saturday August 30, 2003.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:*All times shown are in hours:minutes:seconds-Records:-Intermediates:-Final ranking:-See also:...
- 2005 Men's World Championships Marathon2005 World Championships in Athletics - Men's MarathonThe Men's Marathon race at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics was held on August 13 in the streets of Helsinki with the goal line situated in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium....