| Olympic Games/World Champs | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| 2015 Men Marathon | Ghirmay Ghebreslassie |  ERI | Yemane Tsegay |  ETH | Munyo Solomon Mutai |  UGA |
| 2013 Men Marathon | Stephen Kiprotich | UGA | Lelisa Desisa | ETH | Tadese Tola | ETH |
| Olympic 2012 Men Marathon | Stephen Kiprotich | UGA | Abel Kirui |  KEN | Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich | KEN |
| 2011 Men Marathon | Abel Kirui | KEN | Vincent Kipruto | KEN | Feyisa Lilesa | ETH |
| 2009 Men Marathon | Abel Kirui | KEN | Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai | KEN | Tsegay Kebede | ETH |
| Olympic 2008 Men Marathon | Samuel Kamau | KEN | Jaouad Gharib |  MOR | Tsegay Kebede | ETH |
| 2007 Men Marathon | Luke Kibet | KEN | Mubarak Hassan Shami |  QAT | Viktor Rothlin |  SUI |
| 2005 Men Marathon | Jaouad Gharib |  MAR | Christopher Isegwe |  TAN | Tsuyoshi Ogata |  JPN |
| Olympic 2004 Men Marathon | Stefano Baldini |  ITA | Mebrahtom Keflezighi |  USA | Vanderlei de Lima |  BRA |
| 2003 Men Marathon | Jaouad Gharib | MAR | Julio Rey |  ESP | Stefano Baldini | ITA |
| 2001 Men Marathon | Gezahegne Abera | ETH | Simon Biwott | KEN | Stefano Baldini | ITA |
| Olympic 2000 Men Marathon | Gezahenge Abera | ETH | Eric Wainaina | KEN | Tesfaye Tola | ETH |
| 1999 Men Marathon | Abel Anton | ESP | Vincenzo Modica | ITA | Nobuyuki Sato | JPN |
| 1997 Men Marathon | Abel Anton | ESP | Martin Fiz | ESP | Steve Moneghetti |  AUS |
| Olympic 1996 Men Marathon | Josia Thugwane |  RSA | Bong-Ju Lee |  KOR | Eric Wainaina | KEN |
| 1995 Men Marathon | Martin Fiz | ESP | Dionicio Ceron |  MEX | Luiz Antonio Dos Santos | BRA |
| 1993 Men Marathon | Mark Plaatjes | USA | Luketz Swartbooi |  NAM | Bert Van Vlaanderen |  NED |
| Olympic 1992 Men Marathon | Hwang Young-Cho | KOR | Koichi Morishita | JPN | Stephan Freigang |  GER |
| 1991 Men Marathon | Hiromi Taniguchi | JPN | Ahmed Salah |  DJI | Steve Spence | USA |
| Olympic 1988 Men Marathon | Gelindo Bordin | ITA | Douglas Wakiihuri | KEN | Houssein Ahmed Saleh | DJI |
| 1987 Men Marathon | Douglas Wakiihuri | KEN | Ahmed Salah | DJI | Gelindo Bordin | ITA |
| Olympic 1984 Men Marathon | Carlos Lopes |  POR | John Treacy |  IRL | Charles Spedding |  GBR |
| 1983 Men Marathon | Robert De Castella | AUS | Kebede Balcha | ETH | Waldemar Cierpinski |  GDR |
| Olympic 1980 Men Marathon | Waldemar Cierpinski | GDR | Gerard Nijboer | NED | Setymkul Dzhumanazarov |  URS |
| Olympic 1976 Men Marathon | Waldemar Cierpinski | GDR | Frank Shorter | USA | Karel Lismont |  BEL |
| Olympic 1972 Men Marathon | Frank Shorter | USA | Karel Lismont | BEL | Mamo Wolde | ETH |
| Olympic 1968 Men Marathon | Mamo Wolde | ETH | Kenji Kimihara | JPN | Mike Ryan |  NZL |
| Olympic 1964 Men Marathon | Abebe Bikila | ETH | Basil Heatley | GBR | Kokichi Tsuburaya | JPN |
| Olympic 1960 Men Marathon | Abebe Bikila | ETH | Rhadi Ben Abdesselem | MAR | Barry Magee | NZL |
| Olympic 1956 Men Marathon | Alain Mimoun |  FRA | Franjo Mihalic |  YUG | Veikko Karvonen |  FIN |
| Olympic 1952 Men Marathon | Emil Zatopek |  TCH | Reinaldo Gorno |  ARG | Gustav Jansson |  SWE |
| Olympic 1948 Men Marathon | Delfo Cabrera | ARG | Thomas Richards | GBR | tienne Gailly | BEL |
| Olympic 1936 Men Marathon | Kitei Son | JPN | Ernest Harper | GBR | Shoryu Nan | JPN |
| Olympic 1932 Men Marathon | Juan Carlos Zabala | ARG | Samuel Ferris | GBR | Armas Toivonen | FIN |
| Olympic 1928 Men Marathon | Boughera El Ouafi | FRA | Manuel Plaza |  CHI | Martti Marttelin | FIN |
| Olympic 1924 Men Marathon | Albin Stenroos | FIN | Romeo Bertini | ITA | Clarence DeMar | USA |
| Olympic 1920 Men Marathon | Hannes Kolehmainen | FIN | Juri Lossman |  EST | Valerio Arri | ITA |
| Olympic 1912 Men Marathon | Kenneth McArthur |  ZAF | Christian Gitsham |  SAF | Gaston Strobino | USA |
| Olympic 1908 Men Marathon | John Hayes | USA | Charles Hefferon | SAF | Joseph Forshaw | USA |
| Olympic 1904 Men Marathon | Thomas Hicks | USA | Albert Corey | USA | Arthur Newton | USA |
| Olympic 1900 Men Marathon | Michel Theato | FRA | Emile Champion | FRA | Ernst Fast | SWE |
| Olympic 1896 Men Marathon | Spiridon Loues |  GRE | Charilaos Vassilakos | GRE | Gyula Kellner |  HUN |
