Hailed as a “huge positive step”, the London Marathon will be the first race of its kind in the world to match prize money for disabled racers and able-bodied athletes.
Thursday 22 February 2024 09:26, UK
This year’s London Marathon will be the first of its kind in the world to pay the same amount of prize money to athletes in wheelchairs and able-bodied athletes.
Race for wheelchair athletes Event Organizers said they were already the richest people in the world, but were £43,000 short of what their able-bodied counterparts won.
The London Marathon is the first major sporting event in the UK to be known for parity, which allows participants with disabilities to receive equal prize money, and the first event of its kind in the world.
The new increase means that the £244,000 prize pot will be split between the wheelchair races, while the same sum will be split between the winners of the able-bodied events.
The breakdown is approximately £43,400 for first place, £23,700 for second place and £17,800 for third place, with the remainder being split among the remaining top 10.
David Weir, British wheelchair racing legend and the most decorated athlete in the event’s history with eight wins, said it had been an “exciting year” for him and his colleagues. Told.
“This is a huge benchmark for disability sport and I hope other races and sporting bodies take note,” he added.
Weir will be competing in this year’s race against Marcel Hug, the world’s number one wheelchair racer who is aiming for his fourth straight victory in London.
He shared Mr Weir’s excitement, adding: “The London Marathon is setting an example with equal prize money, showing we don’t just talk about equality, we demonstrate it.”
In the women’s wheelchair race, four previous winners, including Madison de Rosario, will compete this year.
“This decision doesn’t just affect the athletes who will line up in London in April,” she said.
“This is having an overflow effect not only on how all other competitions value athletes with disabilities, but also on how we view the 15% of the world’s population living with a disability. Masu.”
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The Activity Alliance welcomed the move as a “huge positive step” to “make sport and physical activity more equitable”.
Adam Blaise, the charity’s chief executive, said he was “extremely proud” of how the wheelchair event had “developed into the fantastic competition it is today”.