The millions Eliud Kipchoge earned from London Marathon despite finishing sixth
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 28.04.25. | 08:59
Kipchoge will return home with millions in his pocket following his sixth-place finish and the hefty appearance fees he was paid
Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge made his long-awaited return to competitive racing on Sunday, 27 April, at the London Marathon.
While he did not finish on the podium, he will take consolation in the fact that he scooped millions of shillings.
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Competing for the first time since the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he suffered the first Did Not Finish (DNF) of his illustrious career, Kipchoge was determined to bounce back.
It was a challenging season leading up to London, with the 39-year-old finishing 10th at the Tokyo Marathon and missing the Berlin Marathon altogether due to travel complications.
True to his reputation for resilience, Kipchoge delivered a solid performance, clocking 2:05:25 to finish sixth.
The race was won by Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe, who posted an impressive 2:02:27.
Despite missing out on the top spots, Kipchoge’s efforts were handsomely rewarded.
For his sixth-place finish, he earned $7,500 (approximately KSh970,500 at current rates). But the real boost came from his appearance fee.
Elite athletes of his stature reportedly receive up to $150,000 (around KSh19.4 million at current rates) simply for lining up at major marathons like London.
This means Kipchoge’s trip to London could have netted him close to KSh20 million, a significant payday as he regroups from a rocky 2024 season.
Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda came in third with a time of 2:03:37.
Third place went to Alexander Munyao, who clocked 2:04:20 to finish just ahead of Dutchman Abdi Nageeye in a photo finish. Nageeye also clocked 2:04:20.
Olympic champion Tamirat Tola finished fifth with a time of 2:04:42, unable to replicate his exploits from Paris last year.
Sawe’s victory earned him prize money of $55,000 (Sh7.1 million), while Kiplimo took home $30,000 (Sh3.8 million) for second place. Munyao's third-place finish was rewarded with $22,500 (Sh2.9 million).
In the women’s race, Ethiopian Tigst Assefa shattered the women-only marathon record after winning in 2:15:50, breaking the mark set by Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir last year (2:16:16).
Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei finished second in 2:18:44.
Reigning Olympic champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, who won the race in 2023, finished third in 2:19:00.
Assefa’s record-breaking performance earned her a bonus of $125,000 (Sh16.1 million) on top of the $55,000 (Sh7.1 million) prize money for first place.
Jepkosgei earned $30,000 (Sh3.8 million) for second, while Hassan took home $22,500 (Sh2.9 million) for third.
