# Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's marathon

The women's marathon event at the 2020 Summer Olympics started at 06:00 on 7 August 2021 in Sapporo. Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya won gold in 2:27:20 followed by world record holder and Kenyan teammate Brigid Kosgei with silver, and American Molly Seidel winning the bronze medal in her third-ever marathon.
The race was moved north, from Tokyo to Sapporo because the latter is on average 4 °C (7 °F) cooler in August, as decided in 2019 by the IOC. The start had been moved an hour earlier to 06:00 for the same reason. The two cities turned out to have almost the same temperature, as Sapporo recorded 25 °C (77 °F) at 06:00 when the race started and 29 °C (84 °F) at 08:30.
The gifts for the competition were presented by Sebastian Coe, United Kingdom; World Athletics President.

## Background

This was the 10th appearance of the event, having appeared at every Olympics since 1984.

## Qualification

This was the 10th appearance of the event, having appeared at every Olympics since 1984. Eighty-eight athletes competed.
A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter up to three athletes in the women's marathon if all athletes met the entry standard or qualify by ranking during the qualifying period (the qualification period for "Entry Standard" (2:29:30) was from 1 January 2019 to 31 May 2021, with a maximum quota per NOC of 3.). The limit of 3 has been in place since the 1930 Olympic Congress.
The standard was "set for the sole purpose of qualifying athletes with exceptional performances unable to qualify through the IAAF World Rankings pathway." Runners in the top 10 at the 2019 world championship, the top 5 at any IAAF Gold Label marathon, and the top 10 at the Marathon Major Series were deemed to have met the qualifying standard, regardless of actual time. The world rankings, based on the average of the best five results for the athlete over the qualifying period and weighted by the importance of the meet, will then be used to qualify athletes until the cap of 80 is reached. More than 80 athletes (after application of the 3 per NOC rule) have met the qualifying standard.
To be a qualifying performance, the course had to have been certified in the last five years by a Grade A or Grade B road course measurer. In order to be eligible for the qualifying standard time, the elevation decrease could not be more than 1 metre per kilometre. For world rankings, the elevation decrease could exceed that rate, but a correction would be made to the score.
The qualifying period was originally from 1 January 2019 to 31 May 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the period was suspended from 6 April 2020 to 30 November 2020, with the end date extended to 31 May 2021. The world rankings period start date was also changed from 1 January 2019 to 1 December 2018. The qualifying time standards could be obtained in various meets during the given period that have the approval of the IAAF. The most recent Area Championships may be counted in the ranking, even if not during the qualifying period. In July 2020, World Athletics announced that the suspension period would be lifted for the road events (marathons and race walks) on 1 September 2020.
NOCs can also use their universality place—each NOC can enter one female athlete regardless of time if they had no female athletes meeting the entry standard for an athletics event—in the marathon.

### Women's Marathon

The 2016 Olympics champion Kenyan Jemima Sumgong did not defend her title due to a doping suspension.
| Qualification standard | No. of athletes | NOC | Nominated athletes |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | Australia | Sinead Diver Ellie Pashley Lisa Jane Weightman |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 2 | Bahrain | Eunice Chumba Tejitu Daba |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | Canada | Malindi Elmore Dayna Pidhoresky Natasha Wodak |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | China | Bai Li Li Zhixuan Zhang Deshun |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | Czech Republic | Tereza Hrochová Marcela Joglová Eva Vrabcová-Nývltová |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | Ethiopia | Roza Dereje Birhane Dibaba Zeineba Yimer |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | Germany | Melat Yisak Kejeta Deborah Schöneborn Katharina Steinruck |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | Great Britain | Stephanie Davis Jess Piasecki Stephanie Twell |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | Japan | Mao Ichiyama Honami Maeda Ayuko Suzuki |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | Kenya | Ruth Chepng'etich Peres Jepchirchir Brigid Kosgei |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | Mexico | Andrea Ramírez Limón Úrsula Sánchez Daniela Torres Huerta |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Morocco | Rkia El Moukim Souad Kanbouchia Majida Maayouf |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 2 | Netherlands | Andrea Deelstra Jill Holterman Ruth van der Meijden |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 0 | North Korea | Jo Un-ok Kim Ji-hyang Ri Kwang-ok |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | Poland | Aleksandra Lisowska Angelika Mach Karolina Jarzyńska |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | Portugal | Sara Moreira Catarina Ribeiro Carla Salomé Rocha |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | Spain | Marta Galimany Elena Loyo Laura Méndez Esquer |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Sweden | Carolina Wikström Charlotta Fougberg Hanna Lindholm |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | Ukraine | Viktoriia Kaliuzhna Darya Mykhaylova Yevheniya Prokofyeva |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 3 | United States | Sally Kipyego Molly Seidel Aliphine Tuliamuk |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 2 | Belarus | Volha Mazuronak Nina Savina |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 2 | Belgium | Mieke Gorissen Hanne Verbruggen |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 2 | Croatia | Bojana Bjeljac Matea Parlov Koštro |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 2 | Ecuador | Andrea Bonilla Rosa Chacha |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 2 | Eritrea | Kokob Tesfagabriel Nazret Weldu |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 2 | Ireland | Aoife Cooke Fionnuala McCormack |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 2 | Israel | Lonah Chemtai Salpeter Maor Tiyouri |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Italy | Sara Dossena Giovanna Epis |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Kyrgyzstan | Iuliia Andreeva Darya Maslova |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 2 | Peru | Jovana de la Cruz Gladys Tejeda |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 0 | ROC | Marina Kovalyova Sardana Trofimova |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 2 | South Africa | Gerda Steyn Irvette van Zyl |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 2 | South Korea | Ahn Seul-ki Choi Kyung-sun |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 2 | Uganda | Juliet Chekwel Immaculate Chemutai |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Argentina | Marcela Cristina Gómez |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Colombia | Angie Orjuela |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | France | Susan Jeptooo Kipsang |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Kazakhstan | Zhanna Mamazhanova |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Lesotho | Neheng Khatala |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Moldova | Lilia Fisikovici |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Mongolia | Bayartsogtyn Mönkhzayaa |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Namibia | Helalia Johannes |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Switzerland | Fabienne Schlumpf |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Tanzania | Failuna Abdi Matanga |
| Entry standard – 2:29:30 | 1 | Turkey | Meryem Erdoğan |
| Finishing position at designated competitions | 0 | Belarus | Nastassia Ivanova |
| Finishing position at designated competitions | 0 | Belgium | Nina Lauwaert |
| Finishing position at designated competitions | 0 | New Zealand | Alice Mason |
| Finishing position at designated competitions | 0 | Rwanda | Salomé Nyirarukundo |
| Finishing position at designated competitions | 1 | Switzerland | Martina Strähl |
| World ranking | 0 | | |
| Universality Places | 1 | Solomon Islands | Sharon Firisua |
| Total | 91 | | |

## Competition format and course

As for all Olympic marathons, the competition is a single race. The marathon distance of 26 miles, 385 yards (42.195 kilometers) was run over a course that started with two laps around Odori Park. The route next made a large loop (about half the marathon's length) through the streets of Sapporo, passing by Nakajima Park, Sapporo TV Tower, and Hokkaido University, and crossing the Toyohira River twice. The race then took two laps around a smaller (approximately 6.2 miles (10.0 km)) section of the large loop. The finish line was back at Odori Park.

## Records

The existing world, Olympic and area records were left untouched by this race due to its harsh conditions:
| World record | Brigid Kosgei (KEN) | 2:14:04 | Chicago, United States | 13 October 2019 |
| Olympic record | Tiki Gelana (ETH) | 2:23:07 | London, United Kingdom | 5 August 2012 |
| Area | Time | Athlete | Nation |
| Africa (records) | 2:14:04 WR | Brigid Kosgei | Kenya |
| Asia (records) | 2:19:12 | Mizuki Noguchi | Japan |
| Europe (records) | 2:15:25 | Paula Radcliffe | Great Britain |
| North, Central America and Caribbean (records) | 2:19:36 | Deena Kastor | United States |
| Oceania (records) | 2:22:36 | Benita Johnson | Australia |
| South America (records) | 2:26:17 | Yolanda Caballero | Colombia |

## Schedule

All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
The women's marathon took place on a single day.
| Date | Time | Round |
| Saturday, 7 August 2021 | 6:00 | Final |

## Results

| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Time | Time Behind | Notes |
| | Peres Jepchirchir | Kenya | 2:27:20 | | SB |
| | Brigid Kosgei | Kenya | 2:27:36 | +0:16 | SB |
| | Molly Seidel | United States | 2:27:46 | +0:26 | SB |
| 4 | Roza Dereje | Ethiopia | 2:28:38 | +1:18 | SB |
| 5 | Volha Mazuronak | Belarus | 2:29:06 | +1:46 | SB |
| 6 | Melat Yisak Kejeta | Germany | 2:29:16 | +1:56 | SB |
| 7 | Eunice Chumba | Bahrain | 2:29:36 | +2:16 | |
| 8 | Mao Ichiyama | Japan | 2:30:13 | +2:53 | |
| 9 | Malindi Elmore | Canada | 2:30:59 | +3:39 | SB |
| 10 | Sinead Diver | Australia | 2:31:14 | +3:54 | SB |
| 11 | Helalia Johannes | Namibia | 2:31:22 | +4:02 | SB |
| 12 | Fabienne Schlumpf | Switzerland | 2:31:36 | +4:16 | |
| 13 | Natasha Wodak | Canada | 2:31:41 | +4:21 | SB |
| 14 | Karolina Jarzyńska | Poland | 2:32:04 | +4:44 | SB |
| 15 | Gerda Steyn | South Africa | 2:32:10 | +4:50 | |
| 16 | Immaculate Chemutai | Uganda | 2:32:23 | +5:03 | |
| 17 | Sally Kipyego | United States | 2:32:53 | +5:33 | SB |
| 18 | Deborah Schöneborn | Germany | 2:33:08 | +5:48 | SB |
| 19 | Ayuko Suzuki | Japan | 2:33:14 | +5:54 | SB |
| 20 | Neheng Khatala | Lesotho | 2:33:15 | +5:55 | |
| 21 | Matea Parlov Koštro | Croatia | 2:33:18 | +5:58 | SB |
| 22 | Carolina Wikström | Sweden | 2:33:19 | +5:59 | SB |
| 23 | Ellie Pashley | Australia | 2:33:39 | +6:19 | SB |
| 24 | Failuna Abdi Matanga | Tanzania | 2:33:58 | +6:38 | SB |
| 25 | Fionnuala McCormack | Ireland | 2:34:09 | +6:49 | SB |
| 26 | Lisa Jane Weightman | Australia | 2:34:19 | +6:59 | SB |
| 27 | Gladys Tejeda | Peru | 2:34:21 | +7:01 | SB |
| 28 | Mieke Gorissen | Belgium | 2:34:24 | +7:04 | |
| 29 | Elena Loyo | Spain | 2:34:38 | +7:18 | SB |
| 30 | Carla Salomé Rocha | Portugal | 2:34:52 | +7:32 | SB |
| 31 | Katharina Steinruck | Germany | 2:35:00 | +7:40 | |
| 32 | Giovanna Epis | Italy | 2:35:09 | +7:49 | SB |
| 33 | Honami Maeda | Japan | 2:35:28 | +8:08 | |
| 34 | Choi Kyung-sun | South Korea | 2:35:33 | +8:13 | SB |
| 35 | Aleksandra Lisowska | Poland | 2:35:33 | +8:13 | |
| 36 | Darya Maslova | Kyrgyzstan | 2:35:35 | +8:15 | SB |
| 37 | Marta Galimany | Spain | 2:35:39 | +8:19 | SB |
| 38 | Susan Jeptooo Kipsang | France | 2:36:29 | +9:09 | SB |
| 39 | Stephanie Davis | Great Britain | 2:36:33 | +9:13 | |
| 40 | Jovana de la Cruz | Peru | 2:36:38 | +9:18 | |
| 41 | Rosa Chacha | Ecuador | 2:36:44 | +9:24 | |
| 42 | Yevheniya Prokofyeva | Ukraine | 2:36:47 | +9:27 | SB |
| 43 | Nazret Weldu | Eritrea | 2:37:01 | +9:41 | |
| 44 | Andrea Deelstra | Netherlands | 2:37:05 | +9:45 | SB |
| 45 | Bayartsogtyn Mönkhzayaa | Mongolia | 2:37:08 | +9:48 | SB |
| 46 | Zhanna Mamazhanova | Kazakhstan | 2:37:42 | +10:22 | |
| 47 | Zhang Deshun | China | 2:37:45 | +10:25 | |
| 48 | Maor Tiyouri | Israel | 2:37:52 | +10:32 | |
| 49 | Hanne Verbruggen | Belgium | 2:38:03 | +10:43 | SB |
| 50 | Nina Savina | Belarus | 2:38:41 | +11:21 | SB |
| 51 | Martina Strähl | Switzerland | 2:39:25 | +12:05 | SB |
| 52 | Marcela Joglová | Czech Republic | 2:39:29 | +12:09 | |
| 53 | Bojana Bjeljac | Croatia | 2:39:32 | +12:12 | SB |
| 54 | Lilia Fisikovici | Moldova | 2:39:59 | +12:39 | SB |
| 55 | Angie Orjuela | Colombia | 2:40:04 | +12:44 | SB |
| 56 | Rkia El Moukim | Morocco | 2:40:10 | +12:50 | SB |
| 57 | Ahn Seul-ki | South Korea | 2:41:11 | +13:51 | SB |
| 58 | Tereza Hrochová | Czech Republic | 2:42:25 | +15:05 | |
| 59 | Angelika Mach | Poland | 2:42:26 | +15:06 | |
| 60 | Andrea Bonilla | Ecuador | 2:43:30 | +16:10 | SB |
| 61 | Marcela Cristina Gómez | Argentina | 2:44:09 | +16:49 | SB |
| 62 | Li Zhixuan | China | 2:45:23 | +18:03 | |
| 63 | Jill Holterman | Netherlands | 2:45:27 | +18:07 | |
| 64 | Úrsula Sánchez | Mexico | 2:45:45 | +18:25 | SB |
| 65 | Daniela Torres Huerta | Mexico | 2:47:15 | +19:55 | |
| 66 | Lonah Chemtai Salpeter | Israel | 2:48:31 | +21:11 | |
| 67 | Bai Li | China | 2:49:21 | +22:01 | |
| 68 | Stephanie Twell | Great Britain | 2:53:26 | +26:06 | SB |
| 69 | Juliet Chekwel | Uganda | 2:53:40 | +26:20 | SB |
| 70 | Catarina Ribeiro | Portugal | 2:55:01 | +27:41 | SB |
| 71 | Jess Piasecki | Great Britain | 2:55:39 | +28:19 | SB |
| 72 | Sharon Firisua | Solomon Islands | 3:02:10 | +34:50 | NR |
| 73 | Dayna Pidhoresky | Canada | 3:03:10 | +35:50 | SB |
| – | Andrea Ramírez Limón | Mexico | – | 35 km | DNF |
| – | Ruth Chepng'etich | Kenya | – | 30 km | DNF |
| – | Laura Méndez Esquer | Spain | – | 30 km | DNF |
| – | Birhane Dibaba | Ethiopia | – | 25 km | DNF |
| – | Tejitu Daba | Bahrain | – | 25 km | DNF |
| – | Kokob Tesfagabriel | Eritrea | – | Half | DNF |
| – | Viktoriia Kaliuzhna | Ukraine | – | Half | DNF |
| – | Irvette van Zyl | South Africa | – | Half | DNF |
| – | Sara Moreira | Portugal | – | Half | DNF |
| – | Aliphine Tuliamuk | United States | – | 20 km | DNF |
| – | Aoife Cooke | Ireland | – | 20 km | DNF |
| – | Darya Mykhaylova | Ukraine | – | 20 km | DNF |
| – | Zeineba Yimer | Ethiopia | – | 15 km | DNF |
| – | Eva Vrabcová-Nývltová | Czech Republic | – | 10 km | DNF |
| – | Meryem Erdoğan | Turkey | – | 5 km | DNF |