Which Us Marathon Provides The Most Money

Marathoning can be big money these days! We wanted to see what top marathons were paying top finishers so we collected every stat and fact we could about prize winnings for being fast at 26.2 miles.

The Boston Marathon cash prizes

  • In the past 35 years over $20 million has been given out in prize winnings at the Boston Marathon.
  • The Boston Marathon has the largest prize purse of the Abbott World Marathon Majors (Boston, Chicago, New York, London, Berlin, Tokyo) at $868,500.00.
  • Course record breakers (both in the open division and wheelchair division) receive a $50k bonus.
  • Master’s Divisions awards (runners 40 and older) will be given to the top 3 finishers of each sex.
  • Para Athletics Divisions are broken into 3 categories:
    • Visual impairment
    • Lower limb impairment
    • Upper limb impairment
  • The most rewarded Boston runner of all time was four times champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, a Kenyan runner who has earned a total of $469,000 from the Boston race alone.
  • The Boston Marathon is the highest-paying marathon in North America.

Boston Marathon Prize Money Breakdown Place Open Division Wheelchair Division Masters Division Para Divisions 1st $150,000 $25,000 $5,000 $1,500 2nd $75,000 $15,000 $2,500 $750 3rd $40,000 $7,500 $1,500 $500 4th $25,000 $4,500 5th $18,000 $2,500 6th $13,500 $2,000 7th $10,500 $1,500 8th $8,500 $1,250 9th $7,000 $1,000 10th $5,500 $750 Totals per category $706,000 $125,000 $18,000 $16,500 Grand total $868,500

Chicago Marathon prize purse

  • The Chicago Marathon holds the current women’s world record time of 2:14:04 set by Kenyan Brigid Kosgei on October 13th, 2019.

Chicago Marathon Prize Money Open Division (Men/Women) 1st $100,000 2nd $50,000 3rd $25,000 4th $15,000 5th $10,000 American Development Bonuses (Men/Women) 1st $10,000 2nd $7,500 3rd $5,000 4th $2,500 5th $1,000 Wheelchair Division (Men/Women) 1st $5,000 2nd $2,500 3rd $1,500 4th $1,250 5th $1,000 Masters Division (Men/Women) 1st $2,500 2nd $2,000 3rd $1,500 4th $1,000 5th $500 Top Illinois finishers (Men/Women) 1st $2,000 2nd $1,500 3rd $1,000 4th $500 5th $250 Total $500,000

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Chicago Marathon time bonuses

Chicago Marathon Time Bonuses Open Division (Men) Course Record 2:05:37 $50,000 Sub 2:06:00 $40,000 Sub 2:06:30 $30,000 Sub 2:07:00 $20,000 Sub 2:08:00 $10,000 Open Division (Women) Course Record 2:17:18 $50,000 Sub 2:20:00 $40,000 Sub 2:21:00 $30,000 Sub 2:22:00 $20,000 Sub 2:24:00 $10,000 American Development (Men) Sub 2:20:00 $2,000 American Development (Women) Sub 2:42:00 $2,000

New York Marathon prize money

NYC Marathon Open division

  • Only athletes competing in the Professional/Invited athlete group are eligible for prize money
  • The finish order is based on gun time.
  • Prize money is subject to the 1.5% World Athletics “Athlete Levy” which supports the WA anti-doping testing program.

New York City Marathon Prize Money Open Division (Men/Women) 1st $100,000 2nd $60,000 3rd $40,000 4th $25,000 5th $15,000 6th $10,000 7th $7,500 8th $5,000 9th $2,500 10th $2,000 Totals $534,000

NYC Marathon USA division

  • Athletes must be USA citizens, and may not be eligible to represent another national federation in international competition.
  • Only athletes competing in the Professional/Invited athlete start are eligible for USA Division prize money.

New York City Marathon Prize Money USA Division 1st $25,000 2nd $15,000 3rd $10,000 4th $5,000 5th $3,000 Totals $116,000

NYC Marathon NYRR member division

  • Athletes must be a NYRR (New York Road Runners) member for a minimum of 6 months prior to race day and complete three fully-scored NYRR races during a set time period.
  • NYRR Virtual races do not count towards this three-race requirement.
  • Only athletes who start in the Professional/Invited athlete start will be eligible for prize money in the NYRR Member Division “Open” category.

New York City Marathon Prize Money NYRR Member Division Open Masters (40+) Teams 1st $5,000 $500 $1,500 2nd $4,000 $250 $1,000 3rd $3,000 $150 $500 4th $2,000 $100 5th $1,000 Totals $38,000

NYC Marathon masters division

  • Professional/Invited athletes or “time-trial” runners are eligible for masters prize money. Priority will be given to athletes who start in the Professional/Invited Athlete start with finish order based on Gun Time. If applicable, athletes in the “time-trial” start will be eligible for remaining prize money spots, with finish order based on Net Time.

New York City Marathon Prize Money Masters Division 1st $3,000 2nd $2,000 3rd $1,000 Totals $12,000

NYC Marathon wheelchair division

New York City Marathon Prize Money Professional Wheelchair Division 1st $25,000 2nd $20,000 3rd $15,000 4th $10,000 5th $5,000 6th $2,500 Totals $155,000

NYC Marathon Time Bonuses

Open division

  • $50,000 bonus to any male or female that breaks the existing event record.
  • This bonus is limited to the race winner only.
  • The athlete must break, not tie, the record.

New York City Marathon Prize Money Course Record Time Bonuses – Open Division Men $50,000 2:05:06 Set by: Geoffrey Mutai (2013) Women $50,000 2:22:31 Set by: Margaret Okayo (2003)

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NYRR Member division

  • Cumulative with NYRR member division prize money and listed above.
  • Only the highest eligible amount will be awarded.

New York City Marathon Prize Money NYRR Member Division Time Bonuses Men Women Sub-2:18:00 $1,000 Sub-2:41:00 $1,000 Sub-2:19:00 $750 Sub-2:42:00 $750 Sub-2:20:00 $500 Sub-2:43:00 $500

Wheelchair division

New York City Marathon Prize Money Wheelchair Division Time Bonuses Men Women Sub-1:29:22 $7,500 Sub-1:43:04 $7,500

London Marathon

  • Due to Covid-19 and the financial ramifications of the pandemic, the London Marathon has significantly cut the prize money allocations.

London Marathon Elite division

  • Overall, there is £231,000 on offer for the elite runner’s division.

London Marathon Prize Money Elite Division (Men/Women) 1st $53,200 £40,000 2nd $29,260 £22,000 3rd $21,280 £16,000 4th $13,965 £10,500

London Marathon time bonuses

  • Any runner below the time of 2:05:00 (men) or 2:18:00 (women) will split a shared pot of £70,000.

London Marathon Prize Money Time Bonus (All finishers below the set time will split the prize money) Men Sub 2:05:00 $93,100 £70,000 Women Sub 2:18:00 $93,100 £70,000

London Marathon world record bonus

London Marathon Prize Money New World Record Men Sub 2:01:39 $23,408 £17,600 Women Sub 2:14:04 $23,408 £17,600

London Marathon wheelchair division

  • There is also £100,260 on offer to placing wheelchair competitors overall.

London Marathon Prize Money Wheelchair division (Men/Women) Winner $23,408 £17,600

Berlin Marathon

  • The Berlin Marathon course is flat and fast and currently claims the marathon men’s world record.
    • Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya ran a 2:01:39 on September 16th, 2018.

Overall Berlin Marathon winner prizes

Berlin Marathon Prize Money Open Division (Men/Women) 1st $22,600 €20,000 2nd $11,300 €10,000 3rd $8,475 €7,500 4th $6,780 €6,000 5th $5,650 €5,000 6th $4,238 €3,750 7th $2,825 €2,500 8th $2,260 €2,000 9th $1,695 €1,500 10th $1,130 €1,000 Totals $133,905 €118,500

Berlin Marathon time bonuses

Berlin Marathon Prize Money Time Bonus Men 1st Sub 2:02:30 $33,900 €30,000 1st/2nd Sub 2:03:30 $16,950 €15,000 Women 1st Sub 2:17:30 $33,900 €30,000 1st/2nd Sub 2:19:00 $16,950 €15,000

Berlin Marathon world record bonuses

Berlin Marathon Prize Money New World Record Men Sub 2:01:39 $56,500 €50,000 Women Sub 2:14:04 $56,500 €50,000

Tokyo Marathon

  • The Tokyo Marathon is the newest marathon in the Abbot World Marathon Majors starting in 2007 and is the largest marathon in Asia.

Tokyo Marathon elite field

Tokyo Marathon Prize Money Elite Field (Men/Women) 1st $96,800 ¥11,000,000 2nd $35,200 ¥4,000,000 3rd $17,600 ¥2,000,000 4th $8,800 ¥1,000,000 5th $6,600 ¥750,000 6th $4,400 ¥500,000 7th $3,520 ¥400,000 8th $2,640 ¥300,000 9th $1,760 ¥200,000 10th $880 ¥100,000 Totals $356,400 ¥40,500,000

Tokyo Marathon record bonuses

  • Record bonuses only go to first place finishers

Tokyo Marathon Prize Money Record Bonuses (Men/Women) World Record $264,000 ¥30,000,000 Japanese National Record $44,000 ¥5,000,000 Course Record $26,400 ¥3,000,000 Totals $668,800 ¥76,000,000

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Tokyo Marathon wheelchair division

Tokyo Marathon Prize Money Wheelchair Division (Men/Women) 1st $8,800 ¥1,000,000 2nd $4,400 ¥500,000 3rd $2,640 ¥300,000 4th $880 ¥100,000 5th $704 ¥80,000 6th $528 ¥60,000 7th $352 ¥40,000 8th $176 ¥20,000 Totals $36,960 ¥4,200,000

Tokyo Marathon wheelchair division record bonuses

Tokyo Marathon Prize Money Wheelchair Division Record Bonuses (Men/Women) World Record $8,800 ¥1,000,000 Japanese National Record $4,400 ¥500,000 Course Record $1,760 ¥200,000 Totals $29,920 ¥3,400,000

Other marathons with big cash prizes

Seoul International Marathon

  • $80,000 to the male and female winners (required to finish under 2:10:00 and 2:24:00 respectively or prize is cut in half to $40,000).
  • World record bonuses are $500,000 for men and $300,000 for women.
  • Time bonus of $200,000 for sub 2:04:00 (male) and sub 2:18:00 (female) with additional time bonuses whittling down to $5,000 at its lowest.

Nagoya Women’s Marathon

  • The winner will take home $250,000 making it the current highest prize purse for any marathon in the world.
  • Nagoya is also the largest women-only marathon in the world.
  • Any female athlete, who has run under a 2:50:00 marathon is eligible for this race.

Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon

  • $200,000 for first place winners.
  • An additional $100,000 for breaking the marathon world record.
  • In January of 2008, the Dubai Marathon offered the highest prize purses ever with winners receiving $250,000 and a million-dollar offer if they set a world record.
    • Unfortunately, no runner set the world record that day.
    • The winner of the 2008 race, Haile Gebrselassie, ran in 2:04:53, which was the second-best world marathon time at the time, and just a few months later at the Berlin Marathon, he did in fact set the world record at the time with a 2:03:59.
  • Since 2019 the winner’s prize was cut in half to $125,000.

Abbott World Marathon Majors

  • $500,000 goes to the men’s and women’s champions based on points earned in qualifying races after a full year of competition.

Abbott World Marathon Majors Qualifying Races Tokyo Marathon Boston Marathon Virgin Money London Marathon BMW BERLIN-MARATHON Bank of America Chicago Marathon TCS New York City Marathon Olympic Marathon IAAF World Championships Marathon

Other income for marathon runners

  • Appearance fees can stack up and be upwards of $250K for big-name runners.
  • Shoe sponsor bonuses can be in the range of $50-75K for a major win, like Boston, from an athlete with a major sponsor like Nike.
  • General sponsors can add unlimited funding for runners and major wins can enhance an athlete’s visibility exponentially.
  • Speaking engagements are like general sponsors, and if an athlete jumps on opportunities quickly after a win they can see upwards of $40K for an individual engagement.

About RunRepeat

We buy shoes with our own money, run in them, put them through vigorous tests in our lab, and present the findings to you.

The marathon is one of the oldest and most prestigious race distances in the world. It takes a lot of work to prepare for 26.2 miles and RunRepeat is here to help you find the right shoes for race day. Whether it’s marathon shoes, race-specific shoes, or carbon-plated shoes we want to help you do your best next time you’re lined up in the starting blocks.

Interested in learning more about shoes? Check out our shoe buyer’s guides or our pages on road running shoes, trail running shoes, or even just sneakers.

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References

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