The men's marathon at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, was held on Saturday July 31, 1976.

The event was won by Waldemar Cierpinski of East Germany, the first Olympic marathon medal by any German runner.

Frank Shorter of the United States and Karel Lismont of Belgium became the third and fourth men to win a second medal in the event, each one place behind their 1972 results.

Returning runners from the 1972 marathon included defending champion Frank Shorter of the United States, silver medalist Karel Lismont of Belgium, and eighth-place finisher Jack Foster of New Zealand.

[2] Bermuda, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay each made their first appearance in Olympic marathons.