The London Marathon announces equal prize money for wheelchair and able-bodied athletes, setting a global benchmark for equality in sports.
The organisers said wheelchair races at the event were already the richest in the world, but a further increase of $54,500 to the prize money in 2024 means the total prize pot stands at $308,000, creating parity with the able-bodied athletes.
The new increase means a £244,000 prize pot will be shared between the wheelchair races, while the same total will be split among winners of the able-bodied events.
This means that all winners in the elite races of the 2024 marathon will receive $55,000 (£43,500), with the runner-up earning $30,000 (£23,700) and third-place $22,500 (£17,800).
Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the TCS London Marathon, said: “We are delighted to continue our commitment to disability sport with this landmark move that ensures the prize money available to our elite wheelchair athletes is exactly the same as for those in the able-bodied elite races. We have made great strides in recent years towards our ambition to make the TCS London Marathon the most diverse and equitable marathon in the world and this is another important step towards achieving that goal.”
The 2024 TCS London Marathon will take place on Sunday 21 April.