Boston Athletic Association and Principal Sponsor John Hancock Announce Record Prize Purse for 112th Boston Marathon
Boston, Mass. -- The Boston Athletic Association announced today that the prize purse for the 112th Boston Marathon has been increased by more than 38%, climbing from $575,000 to $796,000. The purse, funded by principal sponsor John Hancock Financial, will be the largest in the history of the race. The world’s oldest annual marathon first began offering prize money in 1986 when John Hancock became the race’s primary sponsor.
"For more than 20 years, John Hancock has partnered with the B.A.A. to ensure that the Boston Marathon holds its status as one of the elite marathons in the world," said Guy Morse, B.A.A. Executive Director. "With more than $11 million in prize money awarded since 1986, John Hancock’s commitment to the Boston Marathon and the sport has been unwavering."
Prize money is awarded to the top open division finishers, as well as the top masters and push-rim wheelchair division finishers. Under the new prize structure, money has been added to the top five overall finishers in each class.
The men’s and women’s open division victor will each receive $150,000, a record level for guaranteed prize money among individual race winners from the World Marathon Majors events, which – besides Boston – includes the Flora London Marathon; Bank of America Chicago Marathon; real,- Berlin Marathon; and the ING New York City Marathon.
"John Hancock is proud of its long history of supporting the Boston Marathon, ensuring that it remains one of the world’s premier road races,” said John D. DesPrez III, President and Chief Executive Officer of John Hancock Financial. “As we celebrate our 23rd year of fulfilling our promise to the city of Boston and surrounding communities to support this great race, we have also made a commitment to attract and reward the top runners in the world that participate in this global event."
|
Prize Money |
|
|
|
as of April 14, 2008
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|
Overall
|
|
|
Place
|
Amount
|
|
1
|
$150,000
|
|
2
|
$75,000
|
|
3
|
$40,000
|
|
4
|
$25,000
|
|
5
|
$15,000
|
|
6
|
$12,000
|
|
7
|
$9,000
|
|
8
|
$7,400
|
|
9
|
$5,700
|
|
10
|
$4,200
|
|
11
|
$2,600
|
|
12
|
$2,100
|
|
13
|
$1,800
|
|
14
|
$1,700
|
|
15
|
$1,500
|
|
sub-total
|
$353,000
|
|
total – open men and women |
$706,000
|
|
|
|
|
Additional Amount |
$221,000
|
|
|
|
|
Masters Division
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|
|
Place
|
Amount
|
|
1
|
$10,000
|
|
2
|
$5,000
|
|
3
|
$2,500
|
|
4
|
$1,500
|
|
5
|
$1,000
|
|
sub-total
|
$20,000
|
|
total - men and women |
$40,000
|
|
|
|
|
Wheelchair Division
|
|
|
Place
|
Amount
|
|
1
|
$15,000
|
|
2
|
$5,000
|
|
3
|
$2,500
|
|
4
|
$1,500
|
|
5
|
$1,000
|
|
sub-total
|
$25,000
|
|
total - men and women |
$50,000
|
|
|
|
|
Grand Total |
$796,000
|
Catherine Ndereba leads all athletes in prize winnings from the Boston Marathon, having collected $392,000 in total earnings. With his win in the 2007 Boston Marathon, Robert Cheruiyot became the all-time men’s prize leader with $319,000 earned.
The 112th Boston Marathon will be held next Monday, April 21, 2008, Patriots' Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The race follows a 26.2-mile point-to-point route from the town of Hopkinton, Mass., to Boston's Back Bay. The wheelchair division begins at 9:25 a.m. ET; the Elite Women start at 9:35 a.m. ET; and the first wave of entrants, including the Elite Men, commences at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Additional information about the Boston Marathon and the Boston Athletic Association can be found online at www.baa.org.
Boston Athletic Association
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of managing athletic events and promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.'s Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events, including the B.A.A. Half Marathon presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial Services.
About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial
John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation (the Company), a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$396 billion (US$401 billion) as at December 31, 2007.
Manulife Financial Corporation trades as ‘MFC’ on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under ‘0945’ on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.
The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at www.johnhancock.com.