Ksh100 million up for grabs at US Olympic Marathon trials

ATHLETICS Ksh100 million up for grabs at US Olympic Marathon trials

Abigael Wafula 19:55 - 29.01.2024

More than Ksh 95 million has been announced for the top 10 finishers at the US Olympic marathon trials scheduled for next month.

Top American runners are in for a windfall at the Olympic trials with approximately Ksh100 million set aside for the elite runners.

Kenyan-born American Paul Chelimo will be making his full marathon debut and will be joined by several runners who will be going for the top prize.

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The women’s race has been headlined by Kenyan-born Americans Aliphine Tuliamuk and Betsy Saina who have expressed their interest in making the Olympic team and flying the US colours high.

The total number of runners will be smaller, however, with only 380 registered, and since the registration deadline, several qualified athletes have suffered injuries or have other reasons for not running.

As reported by Runner’s World, the prize money for the event scheduled for February 3 in Orlando, Florida is $600,000, which is equivalent to Ksh97,200,000.

The prize money has now gone up from the initial $480,000 (Ksh77,760,000) that was awarded at the 2020 Trials in Atlanta.

The first 10 finishers in the men’s and women’s races will earn the prize money, with the winner of each race getting Ksh12,960,000. Second place will take home Ksh10,530,000 and third will get Ksh8,910,000.

After that, the money will be awarded to the fourth to ninth-place finishers as Ksh4,050,000, Ksh3,240,000, Ksh2,430,000, Ksh2,106,000, Ksh1,782,000, and Ksh1,458,000. The 10th-place finisher in each race will win Ksh1,134,000.

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