Australians Jess Stenson and Genevieve Gregson shared a smile as they each took a rare turn leading an Olympic women's marathon won in stunning style by Dutch superstar Sifan Hassan.

The pace was rather pedestrian at the halfway stage on another hot Sunday morning in Paris and Stenson sensed it was time to make a move.

She drew to the front of a large pack including Hassan and all the great Africans, before Gregson also had a crack at leading.

Then the big names made their moves.

Stenson, 36, ran on strongly to finish 13th in two hours 26 minutes and 45 seconds, while the 34-year-old Gregson did it tough in the last few kilometres, crossing the line in 24th spot in 2:29:56.

The third Australian, 47-year-old Sinead Diver, pulled out very early in the race with what was later diagnosed as bilateral cramping in both quadriceps.

"It did feel a little bit scary out the front, I have to say, and I had to forget that I was in the Olympics," said Stenson, who won Commonwealth marathon gold in 2022 and only returned to competitive running a matter of months ago after having her second child last year.

"I just tried to think in really simple terms, picture myself in a session running on my own and not be overwhelmed by the moment."

Gregson drew inspiration from Stenson's bold move.

"I could just see Jess doing such brave things up front and I was sitting at the back of all the big names and I was like 'get up there Genevieve'," she said.

"I came up on Jess's shoulder and said: 'Jess, I'm here if you need me, let me take a few Ks to give you a bit of a rest'."

After rupturing her Achilles tendon in the steeplechase final three years ago in Tokyo, Gregson was proud of her ability to come back and compete in her fourth Games and first Olympic marathon, while also frustrated she couldn't push harder in the closing stages.

"All the surreal, pinch-me moments I wanted to get out of my system because I wanted to be on the startline less like an amateur and more like a seasoned pro in the marathon." she said.

"It is only my third marathon and maybe that showed a little bit, but I'm very proud of everything I've done."

Hassan capped a gruelling Paris Olympics campaign in grand style by outsprinting Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa to win gold in a Games record of 2:22:55.

Hassan was just three seconds ahead of Assefa, with the bronze going to Kenyan Hellen Obiri.

Hassan - a mutiple world and Olympic champion across a variety of distances - had previously won bronze medals in the 5000m and 10,000m in Paris.

Stenson had an anxious wait before her place in the Australian team was confirmed in late May after four-time Olympian Lisa Weightman unsuccessfully appealed her non-selection.

The only Australian to win an Olympic marathon medal was Lisa Ondieki, who was second in the women's race in Seoul in 1988.