Boston Marathon prize money breakdown
By Josh Hill
Believe it or not, you can win big money by placing in the Boston Marathon but just how much money do the top finishers get?
For the 121st time, the Boston Marathon was run today on Patriot’s Day. It’s always been a special day for Bostonians, one made even more powerful after the terror attacks that rocked the finish line back in 2012. Since then, the Marathon has taken on new meaning for not only Bostonians but Americans across the country.
Of course, folks in Boston know how to have the best time on Patriot’s Day and that extends to the runners. Believe it or not, you can actually win money running the race, and a nice chunk of coin at that.
Here’s the breakdown of prize money for the Boston Marathon:
| PLACE | MEN | WOMEN | TOTALS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $150,000 | $150,000 | |
| 2 | $75,000 | $75,000 | |
| 3 | $40,000 | $40,000 | |
| 4 | $25,000 | $25,000 | |
| 5 | $15,000 | $15,000 | |
| 6 | $12,000 | $12,000 | |
| 7 | $9,000 | $9,000 | |
| 8 | $7,400 | $7,400 | |
| 9 | 5,700 | 5,700 | |
| 10 | 4,200 | 4,200 | |
| 11 | 2,600 | 2,600 | |
| 12 | 2,100 | 2,100 | |
| 13 | 1,800 | 1,800 | |
| 14 | 1,700 | 1,700 | |
| 15 | 1,500 | 1,500 | |
| TOTAL | $353,000 | $353,000 | $706,000 |
It’s not a million dollar purse, but when was the last time you won even a few bucks going on a run. That’s not to take away from the runners and the training involved leading up to this race. We love the Boston Marathon for its stories ad characters, but at the end of the day it’s an actual race with actual results and winners.
The real reward of running the marathon is whatever you make it. Sure, the money is nice but the average joe is not coming out of nowhere to beat the top runners in the world. But the Marathon over the years has been about the stories of families running it, long lost friends reuniting and finishing the race together and other stories of endurance.
That’s the real reward here, and it’s a payout that never expires.