# Yakov Tolstikov

Yakov Grigoryevich Tolstikov (Russian:Я́ков Григо́рьевич То́лстиков; born 20 May 1959 in Prokopyevsk) is a former Russian distance runner. Tolstikov rose to worldwide prominence following his surprise upset of favorite Gelindo Bordin in the 1991 London Marathon. He set a personal best of 2:09:17 hours at the race which went unbeaten as a Soviet record. This time was the fastest by any European in the 1991 season, and the third fastest time in the world after Kōichi Morishita and Takeyuki Nakayama of Japan.
In international competition he represented the Unified Team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, coming in a distant 22nd. He twice ran at the World Championships in Athletics, coming eleventh in 1987 but failing to finish in 1991. He was a marathon bronze medallist at the 1986 Goodwill Games.
In individual races, he won the Uzhhorod Marathon three times (1983, 1986, 1987), the 1984 Moscow International Peace Marathon, the 1995 Siberian International Marathon, and the 1990 Humarathon. He was a one-time national champion, winning the marathon at the Soviet Athletics Championships in 1988.

## International competitions

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
| Representing the Soviet Union ||||||
| 1983 | Universiade | Edmonton, Canada | 6th | Marathon | 2:22:31 |
| 1986 | Goodwill Games | Moscow, Soviet Union | 3rd | Marathon | 2:16:22 |
| 1987 | World Championships | Rome, Italy | 11th | Marathon | 2:16:55 |
| 1988 | European Marathon Cup | Huy, Belgium | 9th | Marathon | 2:14:10 |
| 1988 | European Marathon Cup | Huy, Belgium | 1st | Marathon team | 31 pts |
| 1989 | World Marathon Cup | Milan, Italy | 4th | Marathon team | 6:39:18 |
| 1990 | European Championships | Split, Yugoslavia | — | Marathon | DNF |
| 1991 | World Marathon Cup | London, United Kingdom | 8th | Marathon team | 6:40:09 |
| 1991 | World Championships | Tokyo, Japan | — | Marathon | DNF |
| Representing the Unified Team ||||||
| 1992 | Olympic Games | Barcelona, Spain | 22nd | Marathon | 2:17:04 |
| Representing Russia ||||||
| 1994 | European Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 20th | Marathon | 2:15:32 |

## Marathons

| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
| 1983 | Uzhhorod Marathon | Uzhhorod, Soviet Union | 1st | Marathon | 2:13:35 |
| 1984 | Moscow Peace Marathon | Moscow, Soviet Union | 1st | Marathon | 2:10:48 |
| 1985 | Soviet Championships | Mogilev, Soviet Union | 4th | Marathon | 2:13:14 |
| 1986 | Uzhhorod Marathon | Uzhhorod, Soviet Union | 1st | Marathon | 2:11:43 |
| 1987 | Uzhhorod Marathon | Uzhhorod, Soviet Union | 1st | Marathon | 2:11:05 |
| 1987 | Soviet Championships | Mogilev, Soviet Union | 7th | Marathon | 2:13:50 |
| 1987 | Fukuoka Marathon | Fukuoka, Japan | 8th | Marathon | 2:12:31 |
| 1988 | Soviet Championships | Tallinn, Soviet Union | 1st | Marathon | 2:14:29 |
| 1988 | Chicago Marathon | Chicago, United States | 2nd | Marathon | 2:09:20 |
| 1989 | Beppu-Ōita Marathon | Beppu–Ōita, Japan | 2nd | Marathon | 2:12:35 |
| 1989 | Milano City Marathon | Milan, Italy | 19th | Marathon | 2:15:35 |
| 1990 | London Marathon | London, United Kingdom | 6th | Marathon | 2:11:07 |
| 1991 | London Marathon | London, United Kingdom | 1st | Marathon | 2:09:17 PB |
| 1991 | Italian Marathon | Carpi, Italy | 11th | Marathon | 2:13:05 |
| 1991 | Fukuoka Marathon | Fukuoka, Japan | 9th | Marathon | 2:12:07 |
| 1992 | London Marathon | London, United Kingdom | 6th | Marathon | 2:10:49 |
| 1992 | Fukuoka Marathon | Fukuoka, Japan | 6th | Marathon | 2:12:06 |
| 1993 | Siberian International Marathon | Omsk, Russia | 2nd | Marathon | 2:13:31 |
| 1994 | Vienna City Marathon | Vienna, Austria | 3rd | Marathon | 2:12:55 |
| 1995 | Tokyo Marathon | Tokyo, Japan | 5th | Marathon | 2:11:34 |
| 1995 | Siberian International Marathon | Omsk, Russia | 1st | Marathon | 2:14:37 |
| 1997 | Siberian International Marathon | Omsk, Russia | 4th | Marathon | 2:17:46 |
* $^{nb}$ The Friendship Games Marathon was hosted within the Moscow International Peace Marathon in 1984 and Tolstikov was the second fastest runner there, but did not receive a Friendship Games medal as he was not entered for the team.