Kenya’s top athletes eye glory, millions in New York City Marathon
Organised by New York Road Runners (NYRR), the marathon is one of the most lucrative road races in the world.
Kenya's top distance runners are gearing up for the 2025 New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 2, with their sights set on both victory and a share of the race's $800,000 (Sh103.4 million) prize purse.
The men's field features two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge, along with 2024 London marathon champion Alexander Mutiso, Paris Olympics marathon bronze medallist, Benson Kipruto, New York City Half-Marathon champion Abel Kipchumba and Albert Korir.
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The race has also attracted Ethiopia's two-time Olympic 10,000 metres champion, Kenenisa Bekele, who joined following the withdrawal of Kenya's Evans Chebet, who won in 2022 and finished runners-up in 2024.
On the women's side, defending champion Sheila Chepkirui will be joined by previous winners Sharon Lokedi and Hellen Obiri. Vivian Cheruiyot and Edna Kiplagat will also feature in the race, which features a star-studded lineup led by Ethiopian-born Dutch runner Sifan Hassan, who boasts the fastest personal best in the field at 2:13:44.
Organised by New York Road Runners (NYRR), the marathon is one of the most lucrative road races in the world. Winners in the Open Division, which is reserved for professional and invited athletes, will pocket $100,000 (Sh12.9 million) in both the men's and women's categories.
Second-place finishers will walk away with $60,000 (Sh7.8 million), while third-place runners will take home $40,000 (Sh5.2 million). There will be an additional $50,000 (Sh6.5 million) bonus for anyone who breaks an existing course record.
In addition, professional "Masters" athletes, those aged 40 and above competing in the Open Division, can earn $3,000 (Sh387,600) for first and second place and $1,000 (Sh129,200) for third
The prize money then scales down from fourth to tenth place, with fourth getting $25,000 (Sh3.3 million) and fifth $15,000 (Sh1.9 million). The sixth to tenth finishers will receive between $10,00 (Sh1.3 million) and $2,000 (Sh258,400).
Top American runners are also rewarded separately, with $25,000 (Sh3.3 million) for first place, $15,000 (Sh1.9 million) for second and $10,000 (Sh1.3 million) for third, in an effort to encourage local talent to compete.
Professional wheelchair athletes are also eligible for prizes, with winners in their divisions taking home $35,000 (Sh4.5 million), plus $50,000 (Sh6.5 million) for a course record.
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