Two Olympic Games, two medals, two different events: that is the short version of the Tamirat Tola olympics story. In Rio de Janeiro on 13 August 2016 he won bronze in the 10,000m on the track. Eight years later, on 10 August 2024 in Paris, he won the marathon in an Olympic record, having been added to the Ethiopian team only about two weeks before the race.
Below we go through both Games in order, with the results that led up to each one and what followed. All times are as published by World Athletics; records are given as of 22 October 2026.
Tamirat Tola olympics record at a glance
| Games | Date | Event | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio de Janeiro 2016 | 13 Aug 2016 | 10,000m final | 3rd (bronze) | 27:06.26 |
| Paris 2024 | 10 Aug 2024 | Marathon | 1st (gold) | 2:06:26 (Olympic record) |
His World Athletics profile records no Olympic result for Tokyo 2020, held in 2021. Between his two medals he became a marathon specialist, which is why the bronze and the gold came in such different races.
Rio 2016: a 10,000m bronze on the track
The season before Rio
By 2016 Tamirat Tola was already an experienced road runner with a 2:06:17 marathon debut from Dubai in 2014 and a 6th place at the 2015 World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang. In spring 2016 he prepared for the track through the roads: on 26 March 2016 he placed 5th at the World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff in 1:00:06. On 27 May 2016 he ran 26:57.33 for 10,000m in Eugene, his first time under 27 minutes and still his track best as of 22 October 2026.
The final on 13 August 2016
The 10,000m final at the Estádio Olímpico in Rio was held on 13 August 2016. Tamirat Tola finished third in 27:06.26 and took the bronze medal, his first global senior medal. It remained his only Olympic medal on the track: after Rio his major championship races were all marathons.
From track medallist to marathon champion
The years between the two Games reshaped his career. He won the Dubai Marathon on 20 January 2017 in 2:04:11, took world championship marathon silver in London on 6 August 2017, won Amsterdam on 17 October 2021 and became world champion in Eugene on 17 July 2022 in a championship record of 2:05:36. On 5 November 2023 he won the New York City Marathon in a course record of 2:04:58. The whole sequence, race by race, is on the Tamirat Tola marathon results page.
Not every championship went well. At the World Championships in Budapest on 27 August 2023 he did not finish the marathon. Three months later came the New York win, which showed he was still among the strongest marathoners in the world going into the Olympic year.
Tamirat Tola olympics 2024: marathon gold in Paris
A replacement two weeks before the race
Tamirat Tola was not in Ethiopia’s first-choice marathon team for Paris. About two weeks before the race he was called into the team as a replacement for Sisay Lemma, who had been injured. That left very little time to adjust preparation to a championship race without pacemakers.
The race on 10 August 2024
The men’s marathon was held on 10 August 2024. Tamirat Tola won in 2:06:26, an Olympic record that still stands as of 22 October 2026. The victory gave Ethiopia its first Olympic men’s marathon title since 2000 and added to a tradition that began with Abebe Bikila’s win in Rome in 1960. Together with his 2022 world title, it means he has won both of the sport’s championship marathons.
After Paris
The gold did not end his ambitions. On 3 November 2024 he finished 4th in New York in 2:08:12, and in 2026 he won in Doha (16 January) and Beijing (18 October), both in course records, and ran a lifetime best of 2:02:59 in London on 26 April 2026. After Paris he was reportedly promoted within the Oromia Police Club, which he represents at home.
Looking ahead to Los Angeles 2028
As of 22 October 2026 Ethiopia has not named any team for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and nothing has been announced about Tamirat Tola’s plans for them. His next race after Beijing has not been announced either. The next major championship on the calendar is the World Athletics Championships in Beijing in September 2027; selection for that has not started.
Where to watch the Olympics and Tamirat Tola in Ethiopia
EBC was the Ethiopian broadcaster for the Paris 2024 Olympics. For the next cycle, the free-to-air Olympic rights for 44 sub-Saharan countries, Ethiopia included, were sold in May 2026 to the agency MMS for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Los Angeles 2028, 2030 and Brisbane 2032. As of 22 October 2026 the Ethiopian sublicensee has not been announced. World Athletics championships are shown free-to-air in Ethiopia by Hagerie TV through 2029.
Official rights holders only, checked 22 October 2026. Rights change by event and season – check the broadcaster’s schedule before a race. We do not link to unofficial streams.
For his full biography see the Tamirat Tola profile, and for other Olympic medallists from Ethiopia, our Ethiopian athletes hub, including the Tokyo 10,000m champion Selemon Barega.
Tamirat Tola Olympics FAQ
Did Tamirat Tola win the Olympic marathon in 2024?
Yes. He won the men’s marathon at the Paris Olympics on 10 August 2024 in 2:06:26, an Olympic record as of 22 October 2026.
Was Tamirat Tola a late replacement in Paris?
Yes. He was called into the Ethiopian team about two weeks before the race as a replacement for the injured Sisay Lemma.
How many Olympic medals has Tamirat Tola won?
Two as of 22 October 2026: 10,000m bronze in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and marathon gold in Paris in 2024.
Did Tamirat Tola compete at the Tokyo Olympics?
His World Athletics profile shows no result from the Tokyo 2020 Games, which were held in 2021.