Marathon effort ends a stellar track and field campaign

Jessica Stenson and Genevieve Gregson have capped a superb Paris performance for Australia’s track and field team, finishing 13th and 24th respectively in the Women’s Marathon. 

Stenson (SA, Adam Didyk) was amongst the best finishes in Australian Olympic history, with Lisa Ondeiki (1984 & 1988), Sinead Diver (2020) and Kerryn McCann (2000) only ever placing higher than 13th.  Jess’s time of 2:26.45 is the second fastest for an Australian at the Olympics behind Ondeiki’s silver at Seoul 1988.

“It was really tough, but just so interesting. Like, there were things to focus on throughout the entire run it was a lot of fun,” Jess said.

“I think I was quite nervous about the final ten kilometres because I knew there was always something to focus on for the first 32 kilometres and I didn't want to get mentally overwhelmed in the final ten.

“I started going through every marathon I've ever run in my head and thinking about how I felt at this point, obviously thinking about my family. It's the first time Mum, Dad, Abby, Jack Dylan and the kids, my mother in law have all been at a marathon to support me and I kept thinking of them too so that gave me a lot of inspiration.”

It was heartbreak at the start for Sinead Diver (VIC, Nic Bideau) who was forced to stop running and withdraw after just four and a half minutes. It was later confirmed she had bilateral cramping in both quadriceps and is being supported by team officials and medical staff. 

In just her third marathon, Gregson (QLD, Nic Bideau) time of 2:29:56 is a remarkable achievement.  She is a four-time Olympic steeplechase athlete, with today’s race on the challenging Paris course making up for the disappointment of snapping her Achilles in the Tokyo steeple.

“I'm probably a little disappointed just because my body didn't hold up and that's like a frustrating feeling,” Gen said.

“If you guys have run a marathon when you're breathing is so relaxed and you feel like you just want to sprint, but every time you go, you cramp. It's just so frustrating.

“But I am proud and it's really cool to be back at the Olympics after what happened three years ago.”

At the one-hour mark Jess, 36, was leading the entire field and pushing into the hilly section of the undulating course. Gen, 35, then joined her at the front and they were seen chatting as they led the Olympic marathon for a short period. 

“Early on because it was a little pedestrian we had a chance to chat a lot. Any time it eased up to silly pace, Jess and I would push it, or Jess pushed it and I would chase her,” Gen said.

“It was really fun to kind of have a bit of tactic in a marathon. That's something I've never experienced. At the top of that hill, the last brutal hill, I just remember looking at Jess run off and I was like, I'm gonna do that, and it didn't work as well. For me, it was just about getting home and avoiding my hamstrings snapping,” Gen explained.

“But like Jess said, it was stunning. It was so much fun to run, and I'd love to do it again.”

Gen’s husband, dual Olympian Ryan Gregson was out on the course on a bike, ‘he was popping up and yelling at us everywhere’ and there was plenty of Australian support right across the course. The Australians were also inspired watching Jessica Hull win her sensational silver in the 1500m

“We've had so much inspiration from our teammates and the great Australian performances for this race,” Jess said.

There was plenty of drama in the closing stage of the race. At 40 kilometres, five athletes were still together, including Ethiopian-born Dutch star Sifan Hassan, who had already won bronze in the 5000m and 10000m on the track in Paris.

Coming into the final 500 metres, Hassan and Tigst Assefa (ETH) were sprinting and bumped into each other, before Hassan was too strong over the final 150 metres to win by just three seconds in an Olympic record of 2:22.55. 

By Andrew Reid, Athletics Australia and Australian Olympic Committee
Posted 11/08/2024