Here’s how much London Marathon winners earn, with Sabastian Sawe getting a bonus for his record-breaking run!
Kenyan long-distance runner Sebastian Sawe made history by becoming the first person ever to run a marathon in under two hours during a competitive race—and he earned an amazing bonus for it! On Sunday, 59,000 runners took part in the London Marathon, including Sawe, who finished in a stunning record time of 1:59:30.
For a long time, people thought running a marathon under two hours was impossible. But Sawe and Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who came second, both smashed that barrier in style. Sawe’s time was actually over a minute faster than the previous record set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.
So, what do the winners get? The first-place finisher in each elite race (Men, Women, and Wheelchair) receives around $55,000 (£40,000), and the runner-up earns about $30,000 (£24,000). Prize money goes down to $1,000 (£800) for 12th place.
Athletes can boost their prizes even more by finishing fast. For example, men who finish under 2:02:00 or women under 2:15:00 win a huge $150,000 (£111,000) bonus. On top of that, breaking the world record brings a $125,000 (£92,000) bonus, and beating the London course record adds $25,000 (£18,500).
Thanks to these bonuses, Sebastian Sawe will take home an estimated $355,000 (£263,000). At 29 years old, he earned the $55,000 first-place prize plus $300,000 in extra bonuses.
Here’s a quick look at the prize money for the men’s and women’s elite races:
1st place – $55,000
2nd place – $30,000
3rd place – $22,500
4th place – $15,000
5th place – $10,000
6th place – $7,500
7th place – $5,000
8th place – $4,000
9th place – $3,000
10th place – $2,000
11th place – $1,500
12th place – $1,000
And for extra speed bonuses:
**Elite Men:**
Under 2:02:00 – $150,000
Under 2:03:00 – $100,000
Under 2:03:30 – $75,000
Under 2:04:00 – $50,000
**Elite Women:**
Under 2:15:00 – $150,000
Under 2:15:30 – $100,000
Under 2:16:00 – $75,000
Under 2:17:00 – $50,000
It’s an exciting time for marathon running—congratulations to all the amazing athletes who took part!