My favorite story is Belgium's Mieke Gorissen, who finished 28th. She was 38 at the time of the event, and is not a professional runner - she's actually a high school physics teacher in a town called Diepenbeek, with a population of about 18,000. She had only taken up running as a hobby in 2017, and started in the 10,000m, rather than the marathon. I heard she only started marathon training about a year before Tokyo, and the Olympic marathon was only the third marathon she had ever done. Hence, her quote, "I made it!" when she crossed the line. And here she is, inside the top 30! This is the spirit of the Olympics, in my opinion.

Jepchirchir winning the race while handing out ice to everyone. What a beast.

So proud to be Kenyan 🇰🇪🇰🇪😊❤️

Congratulations to all athletes who found the finishing line it was not easy much respect from KENYA 🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪 our ladies did us proud

Our Kenyan queens doing what they know best.. congratulations 🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪

Peres Jepchirchir and Bridig Kosgei 💜 Their running is so beautiful to watch. Congratulations to Molly too and all the fantastic women that competed!

M Seidel's performance is extremely excellent !

I really love the team work between kenyans especially Jepchirchir she really helped kosgei to that second position congrats to all Kenyans

Way to go Team 🇰🇪🇰🇪 on your 1,2! You did us proud 🎉🎊💐💐👏👏🏆🏆

The marathons should give medals to top 10 finishers. There are so many athletes in the field and no heats (obviously lol).

Peres with a MAJESTIC stride length in crazy heat & humidity, incredible running economy with a breakneck pace, absolutely beautiful running - a legacy of Rift Valley dominance. Amazing

Seidel is so cute and funny 😂 she did a great job and got her first medal on her first Olympics marathon 😱🤩

Hongera Hongera!!! Our Kenyan ladies. We as Kenyans are very proud of you.

Jepchirchir showed strong legs and a loving heart; she expideted her energies in competing and picking water bottles for Brigid...its love expressed in the most punishing circumstances.

Des Linden was a surprise winner in the icy 2018 Boston Marathon. Seidel triumphed in the heat of Sapporo. Extreme weather conditions create an opening for the toughest competitors to seize. Props to Jepchirchir and Kosgei for their gutsy run and beautiful teamwork.

Yay Molly Seidel well done, deservedly a bronze meddle winner & a brave effort indeed.

Great run from Jepchirchir and Brigid.Congrats

Tremendous race, and exceptionally well run by all the athletes. I do miss when the Marathon finish was in the Olympic stadium.

Everyone of those runners deserve a medal and I mean everyone of them.

Support both olympics and para olympics.... Love from INDIA...

massive respect for these athletes, they are such an inspiration for me

These women deserve an applause for going this for their nation.

Honestly the team that took care of all these athletes are the heroes. Tokyo did a great job.

Molly Seidel just has the sense of joy about her, love it, so inspiring :)

Molly Seidel got the bronze even though she only ran two marathons before the Olympics.

Still watching this in 2023 congratulations to Kenya

Peres was the form woman, no one was beating her on the day. Brigid looked disappointed with her silver. Molly sprung a surprise.

Congratulations to our Kenyan mama... 😘😘😘😘🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️

Congratulations team Kenya i am so proud

Molly's scream gives me goosebumps 😂

Unbelievable how the commentators ignore jepchirchir has one of the fastest times in history and also male commentator casually says she's a former half marathon world record

These women are under authority, doing exactly what they were born for!🇺🇬

Thank you for posting this!!! These women are such awesome examples for younger kids.

Congratulations our Kenyan girls

Amazing 🇰🇪 🇰🇪 fom Tanzania 🇹🇿

Congratulations Kenya! 🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🥇🥈

Bravo Ladies! To all who started and congratulations to all who finished. 🎊🎉🎊🎉💐💐💐💐A truly daunting task. 👏👏👏

I personally think its not fair just 3 Medals for Triathlon & Marathon athletes... thay are beyond human...

Me enamora la manera de enfrentarse a una marathon de Jepchirchir😍, de menos a más, las vence a todas a base de aumentar progresivamente el ritmo, extraordinaria.

Yoooo finally been wanting to watch this thank you for putting it out ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Great job to all the athletes, and Molly Sidel was impressive

The Japanese people did an Amazing job of hosting these olympics!

Thank you for posting the women's race!

1. Eliud Kipchoge and the whole Kenyan Nation showing to the whole earth that they are the pinnacle of Marathon. 🇰🇪 2. Philippines and India bagged the gold medals for their countries pride. 🇵🇭🇮🇳 3. USA luckily, or should i say accidentally regained the no. 1 spot in the overall medal tally from China. Credit to the efforts of Annie Drews of Team USA Women's Volleyball in the final days of the Olympics. 🇺🇲🇨🇳

When Gorrissen says "I made it!" was truly inspiring.

It is tough to get even a bronze medal in this event. Takes a lot of stamina to compete in the marathons.

Seidel do great job among the african.. And the kenyan is the queens of marathon.

this is the hardest event to win gold medal

watching from Brooklyn New York great race

They are all champions. Amazing!

To hear Sallly congratulate Molly...incredible teammate.

I am here watching for the 5TH time.

Finishing a marathon is hard. I have so much respect for all these ladies.

I am thrilled for Molly Seidel! Way to represent our country!

Finally! Thank you. Marathon always brings the drama.

50:01 Molly Seidel "plays the banjo." She is an amazing distance athlete and plays one of the coolest instruments in the world. Go Molly!

Heartbroken for Lonah Chemtai, who suffered from stomach issues, due to having her period. She fought like a true hero and still finished the race. We love you, Lonah! 🇮🇱❤

Finally! Many thanks @Olympics

When the commentators were saying Siedel was closing, the gap was actually growing. It had been down to 6 seconds but Jepchirchir was stretching it to 27 seconds and Kosgei grew hers to 12 seconds.The graphic was delayed.

Molly's performance was amazing! Very inspiring!

Salam dari Indonesia 🇮🇩🇮🇩🇮🇩

Jepchirchir hasn't lost a race in years. Mostly half marathons. The best of the best

Congratulations to Jepchirchir and kosgei more so to this American woman she run the race of her life to provide a special moment for nation because this mecurial Kenyans are unbeatable

I made it. Wow. That's really emotional. She didn't win but happy she completed the race....

The biggest strength of the Kenyans is not just the talent but the inborn resilience!

team Kenya for marathon was like who is who. To assemble such team is great.

Molly did great. US men runner Galen Rupp ran his second marathon in Rio 2016 and also won bronze. He also ran the 10,000m eight days before.

The funny thing is the women seem to have done better than the men overall as far as finishing. The men were dropping like flies.

Peres and Brigid, love you 🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪 EDIT:Sorry that I forgot You Ruth🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪

Africa and Jamaica makes the Olympic Games fun to watch

Yaay for Kenya❤️

Kenya is the best people, would love to visit this country one day soon.❤❤❤❤

watching from Brooklyn New York we have New York City Marathon

FINALLY! Thank you!

Kenya is a home of a marathon champion

Kenyans and Ethiopians have absolutely made a mockery of these middle and long distance races by their near absolute domination

Salute to SEIDEL who was with the leading ladies till the end. Congrates to all winners👌👌

congratulations to everyone

congrats to all the woman I enjoy this marathon

All ladies are super. Especially Mazuronak - did great comeback

Wow..amazing

very amazing race for all the women athletes

Kenya Best of Bests. We lead, others follow. 🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪

What a great race is African,great to the African race

Race Starts at 9:18

In every running event..athlete from Japan always fast in early but in the end idk where they are in finished😂

This is probably the hardest event to get a medal in even to get bronze is saying alot congrats Molly.

All Finishers Congratulations

Peace...love...unity

Amo corrida. ❤️

Too great Tokyo

💚💙Marathon 💛❤

Salute to all these women who ran a distance of 42km, I feel dead when ran about 1km😑

Race starts at 09:16

I love to see these woman runners

Yess...

Brigid ma sister wacha kuboeka u a greatly admired in the whole world.

Is it me or does Kosgei look super displeased at the end ceremony. Congrats anyway and major applause to Seidel! Incredible.

Yay its finally here!!!

There is always a surprise medalist in the Olympic marathon.