There were 10,714 competitors from 184 countries competing in the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris, held over two weeks from 26 July to 11 August 2024. At runABC, we were glued to the athletics events where 59 Team GB athletes gained 10 medals – the best haul for Great Britain and Northern Ireland's athletes for 40 years.

No less than eight British records were set in the fabulous 77,000-seater Stade de France Olympic Stadium and GB squads medalled in all five relays, without a single dropped baton in sight! Here are a few memories and off-beat moments that caught reporter Alan Newman's eye during the 11 days of athletics competition...

Best Of The Brits

The outstanding GB athlete was Keely Hodgkinson (Leigh Harriers) who handled the pressure of being favourite for the women's 800m Olympic title with aplomb, controlling the race from the front for a new British record 1:56.72 – 20 years after Dame Kelly Holmes' glorious 800m and 1500m double in Sydney.

There were so many memorable moments it's difficult to rank them in order but the sheer exuberance of Georgia Bell (Belgrave Harriers) takes some beating. The 30-year-old quit athletics in 2017 for a job in cyber security. Inspired by the lockdown Tokyo Olympics in 2021 she returned to the track and smashed her 1500m PB by four seconds for bronze in a British record 3:52.61. 

For sheer drama, the men's 1500m was the main event. The defending champion Jacob Ingebrigsten (Norway) set a fast pace designed to blunt the finish of world champion Josh Kerr (Edinburgh AC). As the fierce rivals battled in the finishing straight the USA's Cole Hocker stole a march on the inside to snatch gold by 0.14 of a second. Kerr just held off Yared Nuguse (USA) by one-hundredth of a second for silver. Kerr's 3:27.79 PB was a British record and his positive comments after so narrowly missing the gold were refreshing to hear.  

It's Not Fall Season Yet

Have you ever seen so many fallers on an athletics track? At least a dozen went down in heats and finals. Why did so many athletes get tripped or trip over themselves? The intense competition for the biggest prize in our sport, an Olympic gold medal, bringing the world's best athletes closer together than they may be used to, has to be a factor. But what about the latest technology shoes? Stability seems to be an issue if you watch the close-up slow-motion shots. And do the new shoes push athletes beyond their physical limits as they make breaking new boundaries possible?

'Brutal' Marathon Course

The marathons started at 08:00 on Saturday (men) and Sunday (women). Despite the course being described as 'brutal' by many commentators with several steep hills and 436m of ascent (438m descent) new Olympic records were set in two thrilling races. Tamirat Tola (Ethiopia) powered to victory by 21 seconds in 2:06:26 on Saturday (10 August) and the sublime Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) sprinted clear to win by three seconds in 2:22:55 – her third medal after bronze in the 5000m and 10,000m finals! It would seem that when an Olympic title is at stake the nature of the course is almost an irrelevance. Both races made for compelling viewing. 

Keeping A Cool Head

Did you notice the odd-looking headband some athletes wore in race walks and marathons? This is the Omius sweat-wicking headband with 20 graphite segments that are coated in a hydrophilic substance said to optimise the cooling effect as long as the headband is kept wet – presumably through sweat or dousing with water – a snip at £179 in the UK! Alan also noticed runners picking up freshly iced baseball caps with their drinks at feed stations.   

Unsung Heroes

Finally, here are Alan's picks for unsung heroes from Team GB. Lizzie Bird (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers) smashed the British record in the women's 3000m steeplechase with 9:04.35 in seventh place. Emile Cairess (Leeds City AC - pictured) finished like a train for fourth in the marathon (2:07:29) only 43 seconds slower than when he was third in this year's London Marathon on a far kinder course, to equal Jon Brown's fourth in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and so the best GB result for 20 years.

But Alan's pick for 'man of the match' was not even part of the Team GB athletics squad. Alex Yee (Kent AC) was honoured as flag bearer at the Closing Ceremony after his heroics when he kicked for victory and Olympic gold in the men's triathlon. His 29:47 split for the final 10K run – after a 1500m swim in the Seine and a 40K bike ride – was two seconds faster than the silver medallist Hayden Wilde (New Zealand). Yee later added a battling bronze in the Triathlon Mixed Relay – chapeau Monsieur Yee! 

All the Paris Olympic athletics results are available here

Photo of Emile Cairess courtesy London Marathon Events 2024