On the Run!

Swiss marathon runner Viktor Röthlin finished the Olympic marathon in Beijing in 2:10:35, only 35 seconds behind bronze medallist Tsegay Kebede from Ethiopia. Viktor was the fastest runner of non-African origin.

The fast paced race was dominated by Kenya’s 21-year-old Samuel Wansiru who finished in 2:06:32. Samuel won the first Olympic gold medal in the marathon for Kenya. It was in 1960 in Rome that the first African won an Olympic gold medal: Abebe Bikila from Ethiopia, the Barefoot Runner. 

1. Samuel Wansiru (Kenya) 2:06:32
2. Jaouad Gharib (Morocco) 2:07:16
3. Tsegay Kebede (Ethiopia) 2:10:00
4. Deriba Merga (Ethiopia) 2:10:20
5. Martin Lel (Kenya) 2:10:24
6. Viktor Röthlin (Switzerland) 2:10:35