Scandal: World Marathon Majors reduces victory bonus "to" one fifth!

Is the World Marathon Majors series on the brink of extinction?

At least the current announcement of the WMM (= World Marathon Majors) could indicate it. Because they actually lowered the prize money for the winner to a fifth. Not "by" a fifth, but "to" a fifth. In times of high inflation, this is the wrong way to go. Especially since it is precisely the athletes who have built up the series with their great performances and made it a world-renowned brand who are being punished. Even more frightening is the prize money comparison compared to 2017.

Here's how the World Marathon Majors work

The World Marathon Majors brings together the biggest marathon events in the world. Part of the series are the six marathons in Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York City and Tokyo. For the future, the inclusion of some new races was considered. However, the now communicated changes in prize money point in a completely different direction.

Embarrassing: 10% compared to 2017.

Between 2006 and 2017, the winners of the series collected $500,000. In 2018 to 2021, it was only 250,000 US dollars. Now the prize money has been dramatically reduced. Winners now receive only $50,000, down only 10% from five years ago.

More: Which marathon has the highest prize money?

Only pocket money left for Kipchoge

The change takes effect immediately, so Eliud Kipchoge, who is virtually out of contention for the 2022 WMM title after his victories in the Tokyo Marathon and the Berlin Marathon, will only receive $50,000 this year. For the marathon world record holder, who has been financially secure for a long time, this is not a disaster, but it is for other professional athletes. Especially since it is a breach of trust with Kipchoge, who built up the brand with his great successes and world record.

Reduction also for 2nd and 3rd place

The second and third place finishers will receive 50% less. Instead of 50,000 US dollars and 25,000 US dollars, it is now only 25,000 US dollars and 12,500 US dollars. For 4th and 5th place, on the other hand, there was prize money of US$7,500 and US$5,000 for the first time. This means that the total prize money has been reduced from 650,000 US dollars to 200,000 US dollars.

Wheelchair athletes now receive the same prize money

Only the prize money for the wheelchair athletes has been slightly increased. Here, too, the winners will receive 50,000 US dollars, while the total prize money is now 200,000 US dollars (previously 170,00 USD), as it was for the runners.

Scandalous decision

The decision to radically reduce the prize money is like a scandal in a sport that demands hard and intensive training with many deprivations and has never been lucrative for elite athletes anyway, with few exceptions. The World Marathon Majors was able to build a world-renowned brand with its series, which was mainly pushed by the starts of numerous world-class runners. Now the very athletes who made WMM a great brand are being left out.

World Marathon Majors comparable to Grand Slam tournaments

"Our races are to our sport what the Frensh Open is to tennis," Mary Wittenberg told letsrun, then head of the New York Road Runners and race director of the NYC Marathon. But why then reduce prize money so drastically for athletes representing the World Marathon Majors doesn't make sense, especially since in other sports, such as tennis Grand Slam tournaments, prize money has actually been successively increased over the same comparison period.

Will Kipchoge now change his marathon goals?

By the way, for Eliud Kipchoge it is a big career goal to win all six World Marathon Majors. He has already won Berlin, Chicago, London and Tokyo, but has not yet competed in Boston or New York City. After being "cheated" out of $200,000 in hindsight, the 37-year-old might also be persuaded to adjust his goals. It was assumed that Kipchoge would compete in the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon in 2023 and end his marathon career at the Olympic Games in 2024.