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Lead Stories: Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Boston Marathon Boosts Prize Money for 2008

Posted April 15th, 2008 at 4:00 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Winning the Boston Marathon just got 50% sweeter.

At next Monday’s 112th running of America’s oldest marathon, the male and female winners will receive $150,000, a hefty boost over last year’s $100,000 payment. Thanks to the sponsorship of John Hancock Financial, the Boston champions will now receive the largest prize money check of the five commercial events of the World Marathon Majors.
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Kastor Could See Sizeable Payday in Jacksonville Tomorrow

Posted March 7th, 2008 at 1:30 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

Deena Kastor could see a sizeable payday at tomorrow’s Gate River Run in Jacksonville, Fla., which serves as the U.S. 15-K championships for both men and women.

Already the U.S. record holder for 15-K (47:15), Kastor will be looking for her sixth title in Jacksonville, worth $12,000. However, she may pick up an additional $5000 should she finish ahead of the first man (the elite women are given a five minute headstart). That seems likely given that the men’s field is not as strong as in previous years.
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Note on the News: Half-Marathon in Abu Dhabi has $2 Million Purse

Posted February 26th, 2008 at 2:30 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

A new half-marathon will held this week in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi with a whopping $2 million purse. Incredibly, the winners of the Zayed Marathon will receive prize money of $300,000, more than any other foot race in the world at any distance. In addition there is a $200,000 bonus on the line for a world record for either men or women.

Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands and Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya are the leading entrants. Read more about the race here:

http://www.gulfnews.com/sport/Athletics/10192928.html

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Prize Money Increase for Comrades Marathon

Posted December 8th, 2007 at 12:12 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The 2008 Comrades Marathon, to be run on Sunday, June 15, will offer elite athletes a total of nearly R1.4 million (USD 210,000) in prize money, a record amount for any road race in South Africa and an increase of ten percent over 2007. The winner’s prize for both men and women goes up from R200,000 to R220,000 ($33,000) and the total winnings will be a whopping R1,398,900 ($209,800).

Speaking at the launch of the 2008 event in Johannesburg, Comrades Marathon general manager Gary Boshoff said that this move is in line with the international trend to reward elite performers handsomely. “We live in a professional era and ultramarathon stars deserve to be richly rewarded, just as sportsmen and women are in other sports. The Comrades Marathon is considered by the international fraternity to be the world’s greatest ultramarathon road race and we need to attract the best possible field. Last year we saw the impact a runner like Leonid Shvetsov can have on our event and we need to keep that momentum going,” he said.
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Rome Marathon Offers Generous Bonuses,
Prize Money

Posted November 16th, 2007 at 11:45 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The 14th edition of the Maratona della Citt� di Roma, set for Mar. 16, 2008, will not only offer runners a beautiful course through one of the world’s most historic cities, but a chance to win sizable bonuses and prize money.

While it is unlikely that a new world record would be set in Rome, there is a €250,000 ($366,000) world record bonus for the first man to break 2:04:26 or the first woman to break 2:15:25. Perhaps more realistic are the €50,000 ($73,000) bonuses for a new Italian all-comers record for either men (2:07:45) or women (2:24:59).

Furthermore, Italian citizens can earn a €75,000 ($110,000) bonus for breaking either their male (2:07:22) or female (2:23:47) national records. Finally, there are €25,000 ($37,000) bonuses for new male or female course records (2:08:02 and 2:25:07, respectively).
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New Mississippi Race to
Offer $30K Prize Purse

Posted November 1st, 2007 at 4:15 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The inaugural Mississippi Blues Marathon has announced that it will be awarding $30,000 in prize money.

The winners of the men’s and women’s races will each win $4,000. The race in Jackson, MS is scheduled for January 5.

For more information, please visit: www.msbluesmarathon.com
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Sanya Richards named USATF Athlete of the Week

Posted September 19th, 2007 at 3:00 PM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Sanya Richards has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after winning the women’s 400 meters Sunday at the 2007 ISTAF Meeting in Berlin, Germany to earn her second consecutive share of the Golden League Jackpot.

The 2006 IAAF Athlete of the Year, Richards earned half of the million-dollar jackpot by going undefeated in the women’s 400 in Golden League competition. In the last meet of the series, she streaked to victory in the women’s 400m in a world-leading 49.27 seconds. Richards’ other Golden League wins came in Oslo June 15, Paris July 6, Rome July 13, Zurich September 7 and Brussels last Friday.
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Past Champions Headline Twin Cities Marathon; Prize purse exceeds $300k

Posted September 19th, 2007 at 8:02 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Past Twin Cities Marathon champions Augustus Kavutu, Kim Pawelek, Irina Bogacheva, women’s course record holder Zina Semenova and two-time defending USA Masters champion Susan Loken are set to return to compete for more than $300,000 in prize money at the 26th Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday, October 7, 2007.
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Richards, Isinbayeva Split $1 Million Jackpot as Golden League Series Concludes

Posted September 17th, 2007 at 8:32 AM by Bob Ramsak

Section: News & Results, Track & Field

Sanya Richards and Yelena Isinbayeva each won a $500,000 share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot after their respective victories at the ISTAF meeting in Berlin today, the final meet of the six-meet Golden League series.

In front of a near-capacity crowd of 70,000 –the third consecutive announced Golden League sell-out – Richards yet again crushed all opposition en route to a 49.27 dash, another world-leading performance for the 22-year-old American.

“Nobody knows how hard this year has been for me,” said Richards, who after early-season illness, finished fourth at the U.S. championships in June and missed a spot on the world championships squad. “I feel much stronger now than I did two months ago.”

It was the second perfect six-for-six Golden League campaign for Richards, who last year took a smaller share of the prize pot. But for Isinbayeva, the world record holder in the pole vault and one of the sport’s biggest stars, it was the first time her event was given GL status, and she took full advantage over the three month campaign to share half of the sport’s biggest prize. Next up for the 25-year-old Russian, she said, was an assault on her own 5.02m world record which has stood for more than two years.
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World Marathon Majors To Conclude Inaugural Series With Three Fall Races

Posted September 10th, 2007 at 12:30 PM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons

With the conclusion of last week’s IAAF World Track & Field Championships in Osaka, Japan, three races remain in the inaugural World Marathon Majors Series: the real,- Berlin Marathon on September 30; The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on October 7; and the ING New York City Marathon on November 4.

Jelena Prokopcuka, of Latvia, leads the women’s series with 55 points, followed by Gete Wami, of Ethiopia, and Zhou Chunxiu, of China, both of whom have 40 points. Chunxiu moved into a tie for second place in the standings with her runner-up performance at last Sunday’s marathon in Osaka.

Other top marathoners who can conceivably tie or win the 2006-2007 women’s series are Rita Jeptoo and Catherine Ndereba, both of Kenya, and both with 35 points, and Berhane Adere, of Ethiopia, with 30 points. With the conclusion of the IAAF World Track & Field Championships, the fall World Marathon Majors races are expected to begin announcing their professional athlete fields, and the head-to-head match-ups which may decide the Series winner.

Among the men, Robert Cheruiyot, of Kenya, has a seemingly insurmountable lead. Cheruiyot has won three races during the two year period, and he heads into the fall with 75 points (35 points ahead of his nearest threat). For Cheruiyot to be overtaken, one of the other marathoners among the top seven on the leaderboard likely would have to win two of the remaining fall marathons.
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