The Olympic Games is the pinnacle of an athlete’s career for those who competes in a sporting code hosted at the global showpiece event, but everyone first needs to make the grade to qualify to compete. Read on to find out how your athletic ability compares.

Held every four years, many athletes train their entire lives just to make it into the Olympic squad and represent their country at the world’s most prestigious sporting competition.

This year, Paris will host the Olympic Games from 26 July to 11 August 2024.

According to the official Olympics.com website, around 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOC) will compete in 329 events across 32 sporting codes in an effort to win the ultimate prize in sport – an Olympic gold medal.

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How do you measure up?

Among these events, athletes will compete in various popular mass participation sporting codes that many serious and recreational athletes participate in, like running, cycling, swimming and triathlon.

That means that if you run, ride or swim, you could conceivably qualify for the Olympic Games if you meet the minimum standards.

So, how do you measure up? We take a closer look at what it takes to become an Olympian in the most popular mass participation sports.

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Running

A total of 1810 participants will compete in athletics events at Paris 2024, including 905 female and 905 male athletes.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) sets limits on the maximum number of athletes allowed per event, and no more than three athletes per NOC are eligible to qualify and compete in individual events.

Marathon: The marathon is one of the most iconic races on the programme and serves as the traditional closing event of the Olympic Games as it connects the modern games to its roots.

Widely considered the ultimate test of endurance for athletes, the race creates a dramatic and gruelling climax to the Olympic Games. It is also for these reasons that over 1 million people line up to run a marathon every year around the world.

Traditionally, the men’s Olympic marathon falls on the final day of the Olympic Games but in 2024, the women’s marathon will serve as the final event, showcasing the growing prominence of women’s athletics.

For the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, a maximum of 80 men and 80 women can compete. To qualify, runners first need to meet the minimum entry standards, which are:

  • Men: 2:08:10
  • Women: 2:26:50

10,000m: A maximum of 27 male and 27 female athletes can compete in the 10,000m (10km) race, which takes place on the track. To qualify, runners first need to meet the minimum entry standards, which are:

  • Men: 27:00
  • Women: 30:40

5,000m: A maximum of 42 male and 42 female athletes can compete in the 5,000m (5km) race, which takes place on the track. To qualify, runners first need to meet the minimum entry standards, which are:

  • Men: 13:05
  • Women: 14:52

Among the athletes from any NOC country, the three with the fastest times generally make the team. Certain NOCs have additional criteria, like competing in and placing within the top three at the official Olympics trial event (in addition to running the relevant qualifying time), which is a format utilised by the United States for the marathon.

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Cycling

Cycling has featured on the Olympic programme since the first modern Games that took place in Athens in 1896. Athletes will compete across multiple events, including the road race and cross-country mountain biking.

Road cycling: A total of 180 cyclists will participate across four road cycling events at the Olympics, including the men’s and women’s road races and the individual time trials.

Each NOC can qualify a maximum of eight athletes – four per gender – with specific limitations for each event. There are three main ways to qualify for the road races:

  1. UCI Road World Ranking by Nations (80 athletes per gender)
  2. 2023 UCI Road World Championships Elite Road Race
  3. 2023 Continental Championships

Among African NOCs, the two highest-ranked countries can send 1 qualified rider per gender, which mean South Africa has one slot per event. The road races will take place across an action-packed weekend on 3 and 4 August.

Mountain biking: Off-road cycling action takes the form of the cross-country mountain bike races. In total, 72 athletes will compete in the Paris 2024 mountain bike competition,, with 68 places – 34 for women and 34 for men – allocated based on competitions leading up to the Olympic Games.

The top eight NOCs will qualify two athletes, with those ranked nine to 19 qualifying one athlete, which means South Africa will send one male and one female rider to compete.

At Paris 2024, the men’s and women’s cross-country races will take place on 28 and 29 July at Paris’s Elancourt Hill.

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Swimming

Swimmers need to achieve an A qualifying time for eligibility into their specific race. South African athletes needed to achieve this qualification time and place in the top two at the SA National Swimming Championships held from 8-13 April 2024, which served as the official South African Olympic Games Swimming Trials.

The A qualifying times for the 1500m (the closest event distance to popular mile-long events like the Midmar Mile) are:

  • Men: 15:00
  • Women: 16:09

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Triathlon

Male and female triathletes will compete over the traditional Olympic distance, which includes a 1.5km swim, a 40km cycle and 10km run. There are no heats, with only a single event for individual athletes.

In total, 110 athletes will compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic triathlons. As the host country, France will receive four quota places. The other 102 places will be allocated based on competitions leading up to the Games.

The 26 highest-ranked athletes in the world will earn places for their NOCs, with a maximum of six quota places per NOC – three men and three women. The highest-ranked NOC not yet qualified for the Games will receive one quota place for their NOC in the following priority order: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania.

The triathlon competition at Paris 2024 will take place over three days at Pont d’lena, with individual men’s and women’s races on 30 and 31 July, and the team relay on 5 August 2024.