How 14 seconds cost marathon star Hellen Obiri Ksh6.4 million
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Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 06.11.24. | 09:09
Heading into the race, Obiri had two goals: to win the marathon and, in doing so, earn the $50,000 (approximately Ksh6.4 million) World Marathon Majors prize
Hellen Obiri's journey at the 2024 New York City Marathon ended in a bittersweet second-place finish, costing her both the title defense and a substantial bonus prize from the World Marathon Majors series.
The celebrated Kenyan runner, who was hoping to retain her New York City Marathon crown and secure the World Marathon Majors’ lucrative prize, was ultimately edged out of the top spot by compatriot Sheila Chepkirui.
Heading into the race, Obiri had two goals: to win the marathon and, in doing so, earn the $50,000 (approximately Ksh6.4 million) World Marathon Majors prize awarded to the season's top female marathoner.
However, despite her formidable effort, she came up short, failing to win both the race and the series prize money by 14 seconds, adding a layer of heartbreak to her final tally.
Obiri entered the New York race with 18 points on the World Marathon Majors leaderboard, placing her second among elite women runners. Her season’s standing was bolstered by a victory at the Boston Marathon and a third-place finish at the Paris Olympics.
To overtake Ethiopian runner Sutume Asefa Kebede, who led with 41 points, Obiri needed to win in New York and claim the maximum 25 points, which would have brought her total to 43.
Instead, her second-place finish earned her 16 points, pushing her final score to 34– agonizingly close with 14 seconds separating her from the top spot in New York that was claimed by Sheila Chepkirui.
This narrow margin left Obiri settling for the runners-up position in the season leaderboard, where she will take home half the prize money, $25,000 (Ksh3.2 million).
While it is a respectable achievement, the near-miss shows the competitive nature of the World Marathon Majors, where every point counts in the pursuit of the prestigious end-of-season prize.
The men’s division saw Kenyan Benson Kipruto claim the World Marathon Majors $50,000 (approximately Ksh6.4 million) prize, a win facilitated by Ethiopian Tamirat Tola’s fourth-place finish in New York.
Tola, the reigning Olympics champion, needed a top-two finish to surpass Kipruto but could only place fourth, earning just four points.
This brought Tola’s total to 29, while Kipruto’s Tokyo Marathon win and previous scores kept him in the lead with 34 points. Tola, like Obiri, will take home $25,000 (Ksh3.2 million) as the men’s runner-up.
The World Marathon Majors series rewards athletes for exceptional performances across the world’s top six marathons – Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York. In years featuring the Olympics or World Championships, these events also count toward the leaderboard, enhancing the season’s stakes.
The points system awards 25 points for a first-place finish, 16 for second, nine for third, four for fourth, and one for fifth. Alongside the overall winners, second, third, fourth, and fifth finishers also receive $25,000, $12,500 (Ksh1.6 million), $7,500 (Ksh966,000), and $5,000 (Ksh644,000) respectively.
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