World Marathon Majors: 3 Kenyans Still With A Chance of Clinching Ksh6.4 Million Prize

Ahead of the New York Marathon, the final World Major Marathon of the year, there is more than just the prize money at stake.

The New York Marathon pays out $100,000 (Ksh12.9 million) to its winners for both women and men and this year will not be different but for some of the participants and those who will not be running, there is an extra incentive on offer.

This is because the World Marathon Major Series prize will be handed out at the end of the season and it will go to the marathoner who would have accumulated the most points.

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Each year, the World Marathon Majors prize of $50,000 (Ksh6.4 million) is reserved for elite marathoners who perform exemplarily in seven major marathons; Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, Sydney and New York where they accumulate points, and whoever has more at the end of the season is awarded the prize.

In an Olympics and World Championships year, like 2025, the events also count towards the prize with winners in the men’s and women’s categories awarded $50,000 (Ksh6.4 million) each at the end of the campaign.

The points are 25 for first place, 16 for second, nine for third and four and one point for fourth and fifth place finishers in each of the major marathons.

Heading to the 2025 New York Marathon, Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe in on top of the men’s leaderboard with 50 points, Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo and Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu each on 41, Ethiopians Hailemaryan Kiros and Tadese Takele as well as Kenya’s John Korir are on 25 each.

Sawe is in pole position as he enjoys a nine-point advantage but he is under threat from world champion Simbu, who will be in New York, and can go ahead if he finishes second or higher while he will tie with him on 50 with a third-place finish.

With Kiplimo not in New York after winning in Chicago this month, Sawe’s prayer therefore is that Simbu finishes out of the top three for him to claim the $50,000 prize.

In the women’s category, it is very tight with a number of contenders. Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa leads with 41 points, followed by compatriot Hawi Feysa, who has 34 points, same as Dutch legend Sifan Hassan.

Kenyan trio Rosemary Wanjiru, Sharon Lokedi and Peres Jepchirchir are each on 25 points, same as Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede. Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, the 2023 New York Marathon champion, is among six women on 16 points.

From this list, Hassan will be in New York, same as Lokedi and Obiri, leaving Assefa’s chances under huge threat.

Hassan, who finished third in London before winning in Sydney, is a big threat as she just needs a top three finish to beat Assefa to the title that she has won in the last two years while Lokedi, the 2022 New York Marathon champion, needs to win or at least finish second, and hope Hasan is out of the podium to win it or tie with Assefa.

For Obiri, she must win in New York and hope Hassan and Lokedi have a terrible day to make it to 41 points and tie with Assefa for the prize that she missed out by just one point last year.

It is not all gloom, however, for those who will not emerge victorious as the cash prizes extend to those who finish second, third, fourth, and fifth places with the amount being; $25,000 (Ksh3.2 million), $12,500 (Ksh1.6 million), $7,500 (Ksh966,000) and $5,000 (Ksh644,000) respectively.