Kenyans reaped more than Ksh21 million in collective prize money after securing victories in one of the most lucrative marathons today.
The Valencia marathon proved kind for the likes of John Korir and Joyciline Jepkosgei, who secured wins in the men and women's categories, respectively.
Korir delivered one of the best performances of his career, winning the men's race in a personal best time of 2:02:24 with his new time elevating him to eighth on the all-time marathon list.
In the women's category, Jepkosgei produced an impressive display, clocking 2:14:00 with her run shattering the previous course record of 2:14:58 set in 2022.
Notably, Jepkosgei held off her Kenyan compatriot and reigning world champion Peres Jepchirchir, securing her first major victory since the 2021 London Marathon.
Prize Money
The Valencia marathon is famous for its generous prize structure, with elite athletes in line to earn from a prize kitty of Ksh 62 million (€417,000).
For both the men's and women's champions, the top prize stood at €75,000 (Ksh 11.3 million) for finishing under the required thresholds of 2:04:30 for men and 2:20:00 for women.
Since Koris and Jepkosgei's exceptional performances ensured they met these conditions comfortably, they are guaranteed the highest payout available for winners.
Jepkosgei will, however, get an additional 30,000 euros (Ksh 4.5 million) for smashing the course record, This makes her cumulative prize money around KSh 15.8 million.
Jepchirchir, meanwhile, secured a payout of Ksh 6.7 million (45,000 Euros) for her second-place finish, which also fell within the threshold.
In total, the three Kenyan athletes walked away with a combined €224,000 (Ksh 33.8 million) for their heroics in the marathon.
In September, two Kenyans - Sebastian Sawe and Rosemary Wanjiru, also secured hefty payouts in Europe after winning the Berlin marathon, which is considered the fastest and most competitive globally.
