WICKED LOCAL: How much money do the Boston Marathon winners actually take home? They pay taxes on it
By Melina Khan
This article originally appeared on WickedLocal.com on April 22, 2025.
At the 129th Boston Marathon on Monday, Sharon Lokedi of Kenya became the fastest woman to ever run the course when she won in the elite division.
For the men, Kenyan John Korir joined his brother, 2012 winner Wesley Korir, to become the first pair of siblings to win the Boston Marathon.
In the wheelchair heats, defending champion Marcel Hug of Switzerland earned his eighth title and American Susannah Scaroni clinched her second win.
With winning comes a prize, of course. Both the first place winners as well as the first and second runners-up in each heat receive a cash reward.
Here’s a look at how much the runners take home after all is said and done.
Who won the Boston Marathon?
Here are the top three finishers in each race at yesterday’s Boston Marathon:
Women’s
Sharon Lokedi
Hellen Obrir
Yalemzerf Yehualaw
Men’s
John Korir
Alphonce Simbu
Cybrian Kotut
Wheelchair women’s
Susannah Scaroni
Catherine Debrunner
Manuela Schär
Wheelchair men’s
Marcel Hug
Daniel Romanchuk
Jetze Plat
Boston Marathon prize money
The prize money varies depending on placement, and the wheelchair heats get less in winnings as well. If you break a course record, as Lokedi did this year, you earn an extra $50,000 in winnings.
Women’s/men’s prize money
1st place: $150,000
2nd place: $75,000
3rd place: $40,000
Wheelchair women’s/men’s prize money
1st place: $50,000
2nd place: $30,000
3rd place: $15,000
How much do Boston Marathon winners pay in taxes?
The winnings are subject to state and federal tax, so runners don’t take home the full cash prize.
According to Mass Opportunity Alliance, Massachusetts treats prize money as income earned in the state, so it taxes runners’ prize earnings even if they don’t live in Massachusetts.
The total amount of taxes taken out of the prize money depends on a runner’s state or country of residence, but here’s an estimate of how it could break down, per MOA:
1st place: $150,000
After federal, state taxes: about $102,000
2nd place: $75,000
After federal, state taxes: about $54,000
3rd place: $40,000
After federal, state taxes: about $30,000
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