What ‘s the prize money for the 2023 Boston Marathon?

You have heard it around the office. Somebody is running a marathon, and when asked where they finished, they respond, “It is really all about just taking part.” There may be a slight variation to the wording, but you get the gist.

For the professional athletes who are taking part in the Boston Marathon, however, it is about more than just the satisfaction of having completed the course that they are there for. It is about cash.

A grand total of $879,500 will be distributed among the men and women competing in the oldest annual marathon on the planet.

First-place winners in the open division will be awarded $150,000, while the top finisher in the wheelchair division gets $25,000. First place of the masters will take home $5,000, and the para winner of will go home with $1,500.

World record holder Eliud Kipchoge has stated that he aims to set the course record, and should he manage that feat, he will receive an additional $50,000.

The Boston Marathon has a long history of striving for equality, being the first of the big six to offer equal prize money to athletes competing in both open and wheelchair divisions. The event was also the first to award a prize purse for athletes with upper limb, lower limb, and visual impairments.