Dark Sky Distance’s Sharon Lokedi, who initially wasn’t even selected by Kenyan officials to run the Olympic marathon but was a late addition because of injury to Brigid Kosgei, came within one place of making the podium Sunday morning in Paris.
Lokedi, the 2022 New York Marathon champion who also finished second in Boston in April, spent the entire race in the lead pack, which was winnowed to four runners — Lokedi, Hellen Obiri, Sifan Hassan and Tigst Assefa — in the last kilometer.
But at the 41.1K mark, the kickers took over and Lokedi was dropped, as the incredibly versatile Hassan showed her track speed to win the marathon in an Olympic record 2:22:55. Hassan, who 36 hours earlier earned bronze in the 10,000 meters (after also earning bronze in the 5,000 meters earlier in the week), simply outkicked Assefa, the world record holder, who finished three seconds back.
Obiri, Lokedi’s Kenyan teammate, finished third in 2:23:10, and Lokedi placed fourth in a personal best 2:23:14.
Sunday’s effort was perhaps Lokedi’s most stunning achievement, even though a podium spot eluded her. She continued to train after the Olympic snub, but didn’t actually get the call to run until the second week of July.
Kenya’s athletics committee originally chose Kosgei for the third spot on the country’s strong team, leaving Lokedi as the alternate. Kosgei had an unspecified injury.
Lokedi had only one tune-up race before the Olympic marathon, finishing a strong second in the New York Road Runners Club Mini 10K in June, running 31:04.
Kosgei’s initially choice was controversial. She has solid credentials but has not run as well lately as Lokedi. Kosgei most recent results include fifth place in the London Marathon, fourth in the 2023 New York Marathon and first at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Marathon.
The two had raced head-to-head, with Lokedi finishing third in New York in 2023, 12 seconds ahead of Kosgei. Lokedi’s runner-up performance to Obiri at Boston was widely seen as a superior effort than Kosgei’s fifth place in London. Obiri, herself, had lobbied for Lokedi to be picked for the third Kenyan spot. Peres Jepchirchir earned the second spot on the team, and she finished 15th on Sunday.
Lokedi, obviously, proved she belonged on the team to begin with, given her strong performance. She actually had the lead at 30 and 35K and traded spots with the four other leaders throughout. At 40K, Ethiopian Amane Shankule was dropped, improving Lokedi’s podium chances.
But Hassan and Assefa are known for their speed on flat marathon courses, as well as the track in Hassan’s case. So the closing meters left Lokedi behind and, after a brief tussle in the stretch, Hassan pulled away to win and conclude her Olympic triple by claiming gold.
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