Why do 2:10 or below guys DNF from Olympic marathons, surely better to jog in for the Kudos?

There's no finisher medal at the olympics...

That being said if it were me I would still want to finish, even if I were a 2:10 guy and had split of 1:10 and 1:20.

Pretty sure all olypians have always got a participation medal?

Can only run so many marathons and making money out of your pro career is important. If you're not established as world class, it could affect sponsorship/contract having a slow time. But yes, I would argue DNF'ing for a reason other than sickness or injury is soft. If you can't handle having a "slow" time attached to your name, that is weak. A DNF is sometimes intelligent or even necessary and other times it is soft and pathetic.

I’d love to see some Olympians posting on the internet complaining about the medal or T-shirt design.

theolympicdesign.com

Participation Medals

ATHENS 1896

Link:www.theolympicdesign.com/collection/pa...

Scroll to the bottom, I stand corrected.

NO MEDALS, FUMING !!!

It would probably depend on how much money your shoe sponsor is giving you to finish.

If you can DNF and be ready for a fall marathon you might be able to make more money.

Like you mentioned I think the honor of representing your country at the Olympics is so great that many show up injured or otherwise unfit. This and the often oppressive conditions can be a recipe for DNF.

I agree some of the best athletes are after a fall paycheck too but most mid-pack guys might DNS a Worlds marathon but not the Olympics.

In 2021 there were some guys who had qualified in 2019 and probably not trained seriously during the pandemic, perhaps the likes or Alemu Bekele and Oh Joo-han