Legendary Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge will be smiling all the way to the bank after emerging victorious in the 42-kilometer Berlin Marathon in Germany.
Kipchoge won the race after clocking 2:02:42, which was 1 minute and 33 seconds later that his record-breaking performance at the same event in 2022.
With his stellar performance, Kipchoge will be rewarded Ksh7.3 million ($50,000), which is the prize money for winners in both male and female races.
The athlete, however, lost Ksh4.3 million in bonuses given to athletes who supersede the record time of 2:01:09 Kipchoge set last year.
Locally, whereas Kipchoge will miss out on Ksh5 million reward President William Ruto promised to every athlete who breaks a record, he will receive an unspecified amount estimated to be in millions.
When 100 metres sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala failed to hit a world record in June, the Head of State rewarded him Ksh2 million for his stellar performance.
Speaking to the press in Berlin, Kipchoge noted that he had expected to surpass his 2022 record but set his eyes on the upcoming Paris Olympics.
"I was expecting (to break the world record) but it has not come as I expected and that is how sports is. I have learned lessons. I have won but I have not broken the world record. Every race is a learning curve," stated Kipchoge.
In general, the BMW Berlin Marathon rewards a total of Ksh26 million to winners in the male and female race categories.
The male and female winners pocket Ksh4.6 million (160,000 Euros) each on top of the bonuses awarded to record breakers.
With the win, Kipchoge has cemented his place as the best athlete in the Berlin Marathon after winning the race for a record fifth time.
He won in 2017 with a time of 2:03:32 and then broke the record in 2018 with a time of 2:01:39. He would once again break that record in 2022.
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