The Boston Marathon paid a total prize pool of $1,284,500 at its 2026 race, including course-record bonuses, according to the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) pro field page. Each open-division winner earns $150,000. On the revenue side, the 2026 qualifier entry fee was $260, so the 30,000 official entrants point to a gross ceiling of about $7.8 million (Hopone calculation).
Two figures in circulation need a correction. Secondary outlets quote a guaranteed purse of about $1.13 million, which excludes some incentives. And the entry fee is not $250 for US residents and $350 for international runners: the sources reviewed list $260 for both in 2026.
- The B.A.A. lists a 2026 grand total of $1,284,500 including course-record bonuses; secondary outlets cite a guaranteed purse of about $1.13 million.
- Open-division winners, men and women, each receive $150,000; the wheelchair winner receives $50,000.
- The $50,000 course-record bonus is paid only if a record falls: John Korir received $200,000 in 2026.
- At $260 a bib, 30,000 entrants equal $7.8 million (Hopone calculation), an upper bound that ignores invitational and charity entries.
- Appearance fees are not published, so the true cost of the professional field is larger than the purse.
The 2026 prize purse is $1,284,500 including bonuses
The B.A.A. pro field page lists division totals of $706,000 for the Open division, $257,000 for Wheelchair T53/54/34, $5,500 for Wheelchair T51-52 and $18,000 for Masters. The grand total of $1,284,500 also includes the course-record bonuses. CBS News Boston reported that the pool is $70,000 higher than in 2025.
Other figures circulate because outlets count different things. Sporting News and the Bangor Daily News report a guaranteed purse of about $1.13 million that can rise above $1.33 million if every incentive is achieved. WCVB gives a third figure, up to $1.48 million. Hopone found the $1.13 million guarantee in secondary outlets, not on a B.A.A. page.
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $150,000 |
| 2nd | $75,000 |
| 3rd | $40,000 |
| 4th | $25,000 |
| 5th | $18,000 |
| 6th | $13,500 |
| 7th | $10,500 |
| 8th | $8,500 |
| 9th | $7,000 |
| 10th | $5,500 |
Prize money is equal for men and women. The ten places add up to $353,000 per field, or $706,000 for both (Hopone calculation), which matches the B.A.A. Open division total. The winner takes about 42% of each field's prize list (Hopone calculation), and the 10th-place finisher earns $5,500.
The wheelchair divisions pay less at the top but have grown quickly. In Wheelchair T53/54/34, first place earns $50,000, second $30,000 and third $15,000, down to $1,500 for 10th. First prize was $25,000 before Bank of America replaced John Hancock as main sponsor, then rose to $40,000, according to an AP report carried by Boston.com. Boston.com reported $40,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2025.
The Para Athletics divisions pay $3,000 for first, $2,000 for second and $1,500 for third, according to the B.A.A. table. Boston.com reported $97,000 for those divisions in 2025, on top of $1,137,500 for the open, wheelchair and masters divisions. The B.A.A. says Boston was the first Abbott World Marathon Major to provide a designated purse for athletes with upper limb, lower limb and visual impairments. For how races fund and structure such budgets more broadly, see How the running business works.
The $50,000 course-record bonus is paid only if a record falls
The B.A.A. pays a $50,000 course-record bonus in both the Open and Wheelchair divisions. It says Boston was the first Abbott World Marathon Major to offer equal $50,000 bonuses across open and wheelchair divisions. Sporting News puts the Para course-record incentive at $500.
In 2026, John Korir won in 2:01:52, beating Geoffrey Mutai's 2:03:02 from 2011. He received $150,000 plus the $50,000 bonus, $200,000 in total, according to CBS News Boston, The Boston Globe, Runner's World and Sportico. Sharon Lokedi won the women's race and $150,000, the Bangor Daily News reported.
A bonus differs from a prize place. Places are paid every year, while a bonus is a payment that depends on an event that may not happen. That is why the guaranteed purse and the maximum purse differ by hundreds of thousands of dollars. No source reviewed describes how the B.A.A. accounts for the bonus.
The bonus is for a course record, not a world record. World Athletics says a point-to-point course like Boston's is ineligible for records when the start and finish are more than 50% of the race distance apart. Boston.com's 2023 report also cites a 1:1000 limit on elevation drop. The B.A.A. pays its own bonus regardless.
Entry fees: $260 per qualifier and a gross ceiling near $7.8 million
The 2026 qualifier entry fee was $260, and registration guides list the same amount for US residents and international runners. The same guides put the 2025 fee at $250. Marathon Handbook says the 2027 fee is $270, citing the B.A.A.
B.A.A. rules say entry fees are set annually and charged on acceptance. They are non-refundable, non-transferable and non-deferrable, except for pregnancy and postpartum deferrals. Guide and Support Runners pay no entry fee. The no-transfer rule is one reason bib resale carries fraud risk.
The field is set at 30,000 official entrants, according to the B.A.A. The rest of the field is invitational, including the Bank of America Boston Marathon Official Charity Program and invited professional and Para athletes. One guide says the 2026 field ran above 32,000 with charity and invitational bibs, a figure Hopone could not confirm.
| Year | Fee per bib | Gross at 30,000 entrants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $250 | $7.5 million |
| 2026 | $260 | $7.8 million |
| 2027 | $270 | $8.1 million |
These are upper bounds, not reported revenue. Qualifiers and charity runners pay different amounts, and some invitational entrants do not pay a fee. The B.A.A. has not published a fee-revenue figure for the marathon.
Charity entries cost more. Registration guides list a fee of $375 to $385 plus a fundraising minimum of $8,500 for 2026, and Bank of America says the charity program is nearly 10% of the field. No source reviewed shows how much of that money the B.A.A. keeps. Against the $7.8 million ceiling, the $1,284,500 purse equals about 16.5% (Hopone calculation).
Boston's fees and prizes sit in the same range as other majors
Boston's fee is close to the other large US marathons, though the years differ. Chicago's 2027 fee is $250 for US residents and $260 for others, according to Marathon Handbook. New York charges $255 for members and $315 for non-members, according to MarathonBallot.
| Race | Entry fee | Open winner prize | Total purse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston (2026) | $260 | $150,000 | $1,284,500 incl. bonuses |
| New York (2025 prizes) | $255 members, $315 non-members | $100,000 | $969,000 guaranteed |
| Chicago (2025 prizes, 2027 fees) | $250 US, $260 others | $100,000 | $908,000 |
New York and Chicago each paid $100,000 to open winners in 2025, and the purse totals come from NPR and Yahoo reports. Boston's $150,000 is for 2026, so the comparison mixes years. Chicago's economic reach is covered in Chicago Marathon added $756 million in 2025.
In Europe, the Dublin Marathon entry fee is €110 and will rise to €130 from 2027, with a field capped at 22,500, according to RTÉ and the Irish Times. See Dublin Marathon raises its entry fee 18%. The 2027 Paris Marathon charges a flat €169, with 1,000 solidarity bibs at €50, as covered here. Euro amounts are shown as published. More coverage is in Race economics and organization.
Sponsorship supports the field, but no source links it to the purse
Bank of America became presenting partner in 2024 under a decade-long agreement, according to the B.A.A. and Boston.com. It replaced John Hancock as main sponsor. Wheelchair first prize rose from $25,000 to $40,000 after the change, but no source reviewed ties sponsorship revenue to the prize purse.
Prize money is only part of the cost of the professional field. The B.A.A. does not publish appearance fees, which are payments to elite athletes for starting the race, and the contracts are confidential. Hopone could not confirm an amount for Boston.
Drug testing is another cost. Testing at Boston is carried out by USADA, according to B.A.A. rules. No Boston-specific testing cost was found.
Questions readers ask about Boston's money
How much does the winner of the Boston Marathon get?
Each open-division winner, men and women, received $150,000 in 2026. John Korir earned $200,000 because he also took the $50,000 course-record bonus. The Wheelchair T53/54/34 winner receives $50,000.
How much are Boston Marathon entry fees?
The 2026 qualifier fee was $260 for US residents and international runners, according to registration guides. The fee was $250 in 2025, and Marathon Handbook says it is $270 for 2027. Charity entries were listed at $375 to $385 plus an $8,500 fundraising minimum.
Does the Boston Marathon pay appearance fees to elite runners?
The B.A.A. does not publish appearance fees, so the amounts are not public. Hopone could not confirm a Boston figure, and the published prize purse should not be read as the full cost of the professional field.
How does the Boston Marathon prize money compare to New York or Chicago?
Boston's open winners earned $150,000 in 2026, against $100,000 at New York and Chicago in 2025. New York's 2025 guaranteed purse was $969,000 and Chicago's total purse was $908,000, against Boston's 2026 total of $1,284,500 including bonuses.
Sources
- Boston Athletic Association: Pro Field
- CBS News Boston: Check the Boston Marathon 2026 results for winners, times, prize money and more
- Sporting News (Yahoo Sports): Boston Marathon prize money breakdown: How much do the winners make from 2026 purse?
- Bangor Daily News: Defending men's champion sets new Boston Marathon course record
- WCVB: Boston Marathon prize money: 2026
- Boston.com: What's the prize for winning the Boston Marathon?
- Boston.com (AP): Boston Marathon purse to break $1 million with boost in para athlete divisions
- Sportico: John Korir, Sharon Lokedi Defend Boston Marathon Titles, Earn $150K
- Runner's World: 2026 Boston Marathon Course Record: John Korir Wins
- The Boston Globe: John Korir repeats, breaks men's course record in dominant Boston Marathon victory
This article was written with AI by the Hopone Newsroom, from the sources it cites. Figures marked “Hopone calculation” are our own arithmetic from those sources. Nothing here is investment advice.