Queenslander Pat Tiernan vows to use his collapse at Tokyo as a driving force for his Olympic marathon debut in Paris

His collapse at Tokyo was one of the most frightening images of the 2021 Games. But Pat Tiernan has rebuilt his body and mind and ready to atone in his Olympic marathon debut.

His track collapse was one of the most alarming moments of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Now Pat Tiernan is ready to torture himself once again — in a distance more than four times further than what he endured at Tokyo.

The kid from Longreach who idolised Test cricket legend Matt Hayden won the hearts of Australians at Tokyo when he collapsed with the finish line beckoning in sweltering heat in the 10,000m final.

Ultimately, Tiernan got nowhere near gold. The Queenslander crumbled to 19th. But the sight of him crawling, stumbling and willing his broken mind and body for the final 180 metres underscored the spirit of a man who relishes the grind.

Perhaps it’s why he is even more suited to the marathon, with Tiernan to make his Olympic debut in the 42.195km distance on Saturday night (AEST) at the Paris Games.

Pat Tiernan is going from the track to the roads to make his marathon debut at Paris.

“I basically just over-stretched myself in Tokyo,” Tiernan recalls of the 10000m collapse that proved as iconic as it was distressing.

“I probably should have just held my pace, but I had it in my head that I was there to try and medal, so it was a medal or bust strategy I guess.

“I think heat stroke is 42 degrees. I was at 41. I was laying on a bed with wet towels all over my body just to try and bring my core temperature down. I was drinking electrolytes. They wouldn’t let me go until my temp was back down to 38 degrees.

“To be honest, it’s taken me the better part of two years to fully move past it.”

Three Aussies will feature in the men’s marathon alongside Kenyan legend Eliud Kipchoge.

Liam Adams is back for his third Olympics. Andy Buchanan will make his debut following the injury-enforced scratching of Brett Robinson, the fastest marathoner in Australian history after his 2:07.31 in 2022 broke Rob de Castella’s 36-year-old record.

The absence of Robinson makes Tiernan Australia’s marathon top dog in Paris.

The 29-year-old has made a stunning transition to the gruelling distance. He ran 2:11.02 at Chicago in his marathon debut in 2022. In his second attempt in January, Tiernan flew home in 2:07.45, just 15 seconds shy of Robinson’s national record.

Patrick Tiernan collapses with the finish line in sight in the 10000m in Tokyo.

Given the summer conditions in Paris, Tiernan is unlikely to smash national records, but he believes he is made for the marathon. Even if he stands 185cm, almost 20cm taller than Kipchoge as one of the world’s biggest marathoners.

“I feel like I have found my sweet spot,” said Tiernan, lining up for just his third marathon.

“The roads is where I feel most comfortable and where I feel like I’m having the most fun at the moment.

“My first marathon in Chicago was such a great experience and when the gun went off, I felt like a kid again in the sport.

Tiernan is relishing the marathon distance.

“This Paris course will be tough. I don’t know whether anyone in the field would have run a course like this before. There’s a hilly section of the course which ends at around 32km which is a critical part of the race.

“It’s a shame Brett won’t be running but the depth in our men’s and women’s marathon ranks is growing.

“I would like to think that between Brett, Andy, Liam and myself that we can get that Australian record down to what some other countries have it at ... around that 2:05-2:06 mark.

“The marathon is an event that I’d like to prioritise.”