Marathon Prize Money

The deeper you look into marathon prize money, the stranger and more fascinating it becomes.

The $1 Million Club

When the Abbott World Marathon Majors series was established in 2006, the prize money on offer for the top finishers at the world's most prestigious marathons was already substantial. But over the next decade and a half, the stakes have been raised to an astonishing degree. Today, the top prize for winning one of the Abbott Majors events (Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City, Tokyo) stands at a cool $1 million.

To put that figure into perspective, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics had a gold medal prize of just $37,500. And the Kentucky Derby, considered one of the most prestigious horse races in the world, offers a first-place prize of $1.86 million. So the seven-figure paydays in elite marathon running now dwarf the rewards in many other high-profile sports.

A Controversial History

The astronomical rise in marathon prize money has not been without its critics. Some argue that the focus on financial rewards undermines the pure, grassroots spirit of the sport. Others point out that the vast majority of recreational marathon runners will never see a penny of this prize money, making it feel disconnected from the experience of the average participant.

There have also been concerns that the money has skewed the competitive landscape, with elite athletes increasingly prioritizing the richest events over other prestigious marathons. This has led to growing inequality, with the Abbott Majors cementing their dominance while smaller, local marathons struggle to attract top talent.

"The money has made marathons more about being a business than a sport. It's changed the whole dynamic and taken away from what these events used to be about."

- Emma Bates, American long-distance runner

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The Battle for the Bonus

Alongside the individual race prizes, the Abbott World Marathon Majors also offers a $1 million "grand slam" bonus to any athlete who can win all six of the Majors in a 12-month period. This has created an added layer of intrigue, with elite runners laser-focused on chasing that life-changing payday.

Since the bonus was introduced in 2006, only two athletes have ever achieved the feat: Paula Radcliffe in 2003-2004, and Eliud Kipchoge in 2018. The immense difficulty of the challenge has turned the "grand slam" into one of the most coveted prizes in all of sports.

The Rise of the Pacesetters

Another consequence of the soaring prize money has been the emergence of professional pacesetters in major marathons. These are elite runners who are paid substantial sums to set a blistering early pace, allowing the favorites to conserve energy and make their decisive moves later in the race.

The use of pacesetters has become increasingly prevalent, with some of the world's best distance runners earning more from pacing duties than from their own competitive results. This has led to accusations that the sport is becoming overly commercialized and detached from its grassroots origins.

The Future of Marathon Prizes

As marathon running has grown into a multi-billion dollar global industry, the sky-high prize money shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, some experts predict that the top prize for winning an Abbott Major could reach $2 million or higher in the coming years.

Whether this is a positive or negative development for the sport remains hotly debated. But one thing is certain: the mind-boggling sums of money on offer have transformed the landscape of elite marathon running, creating new dynamics, controversies, and implications that will continue to captivate fans and participants alike.

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