Tiernan ran with the leading group of the men’s marathon for the first 15 kilometers, reaching the halfway mark in 29th place. He clocked a 1:33:14 split at the 30-kilometer mark and finished strong, securing 24th place overall.
Next Australian to cross the finish line was Andrew Buchanan, with a time of 2:12:58 and securing 45th place.
Completing the Australian trio was Liam Adams, who, after a challenging last 10 kilometers, clocked 2:13:33 to place 49th. This was his third Olympic marathon.
Ethiopian Tamirat Tola took first place with an Olympic Record time of 2:06:26.
The race, starting from the historic Hôtel de Ville, drew inspiration from the women’s march on Versailles during the French Revolution.
The course was a perfect backdrop for Patrick, who passed notable landmarks such as the Musée du Louvre, the Grand Palais, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Trocadéro, etching his name into history.
“I’m stoked. I ran 2:10-something, which I thought would be good enough for top-ten, so I’m happy to end up where I did [given the pace],” Patrick said.
“It went exactly how I wanted to, ran how I wanted to run, and am thrilled that this was faster than my debut on what was a very flat course. I’m excited about what I can do next.”
Patrick’s return to the Olympics also serves as a redemption for his fall during the men’s 10,000m at Tokyo 2020, where his decision to finish was one of the most courageous moments of the Games.
“Having this after Tokyo is such a big deal. This is a much better reflection of what I can do on the international stage and after a few more of these I think I’ll be able to go that bit further with the lead pack.
“I’ve found my event, and I think I can find my sweet spot from here. This is the third marathon I’ve run, and I’m learning. I had so much fun out there; to have people randomly yelling out your name is such a good atmosphere.”
Andy’s path to Paris 2024 has been quite unusual.
Last month, while competing at the Victorian Cross Country Championships, the Bendigo native was at Woolworths in late July when Australian record holder Brett Robinson called to inform him that he’d be taking the spot in the Olympics.
He then traveled to Europe for preparation in Montpellier, with family and friends joining him in a last-minute rush to reach the Olympic city.
“I am speechless. This hasn’t sunk in yet,” Andy said.
“On a random Tuesday I went to work, had a good day, trained that afternoon and got a call from Brett to say I was going to the Olympics. It’s been a whirlwind from there.”
“I just wanted to come here and enjoy it, make the most of it. You don’t get to run at the Olympics very often and I just wanted to make not only myself, but all those that helped me, proud.
“I believe that athletics is the heart of the Olympics, and the marathon the heart of that. I don’t know how I’m going to get gee’d up for another race again, to be honest,” Andy joked.
Liam was disappointed with his performance. After struggling on the downhill and the final 10 kilometers following a tough climb at around 30 kilometers, it was a commendable effort.
Thanks to Cody Lynch, Athletics Australia, and the Australian Olympic Committee for providing this content.
