Staggering prize money Kipchoge will be fighting for in Tokyo marathon

Tokyo Marathon women’s defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru and one-time winner Eliud Kipchoge are set to square it out with other competitors for a share of the staggering prize money in the 2024 edition of the race.

According to the organizers, 40,300,000 Japanese Yen (approximately Ksh 39,183,040) has been set aside for the road race which is expected to take place on Sunday, March 3,

The winners of the elite race in both the women’s and men’s category will pocket 11,000,000 Japanese Yen (approximately Ksh 10,692,650).

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Furthermore, should any of the runners break the course record, they will receive a bonus of 3,000,000 Japanese Yen (approximately Ksh 2,916, 235). The prize money is expected to reduce since it will be subjected to the tax procedure among other expenses.

The Kenyan duo of Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei currently hold the course records of the race which is part of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) events.

They set the course records of 2:02.40 and 2:16.02 respectively during the 2022 edition which took place less than seven months after Kipchoge secured his second Olympic Games Marathon title.

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Wanjiru will be seeking to defend her title and improve her personal best of 2:16.23 which she set at the same race in 2023. 

However, the one-time African Games silver medalist will have to be at her best in order to emerge the winner since she will race against some of the best female runners.

Dutch sensation Sifan Hassan and the Ethiopian trio of Amane Beriso, Tigist Abayechew, and Sutume Kebede are some of the strong contenders Wanjiru will have to beat to retain her title.

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Others include Kenyan-born Israel international Lonah Salpeter Chemutai, Tanzania’s Shauri Magdalena and Japan’s Hitomi Niiya.

Meanwhile, Kipchoge, whose world record of 2:01.09 was lowered to 2:00.35 by the late Kelvin Kiptum in October last year, is expected to receive a stiff challenge from the likes of fellow countrymen Vincent Ngetich Kipkemoi, Timothy Kiplagat and Benson Kipruto.

Ethiopia’s Chalu Deso, Uganda’s Kiplangat Victor and Japan’s Kengo Suzuki are also in contention. 

Deso won last year’s edition in a time of 2:05.22 ahead of Mohamed Esa (2:05.25) and Tsegaye Getachew (2:05.32).

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