Millions Kenya’s Cyprian Kotut will bag from his second place at Berlin Marathon

Kenyan athletes might have endured a tough day at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday but Cyprian Kotut and Stephen Kiprop still walked away with a substantial sum for second and fourth place.

Kotutu clocked 2:03:22 to finish second behind Ethiopia’s Milkesa Mengesha, who won in 2:03:17, as his compatriot Haymanot Alew (2:03:31) finished third.

Kenya’s Kiprop was fourth after clocking 2:03:37 as the race had a new winner taking over from five-time champion Eliud Kipchoge, who did not feature in this year’s edition.

The Ethiopian star got over the line in the end, beating Kenya's Cybrian Kotut and Stephen Kiprop, who came second and fourth respectively to take home the 50th Berlin Marathon crown.

Berlin Marathon is one of the most lucrative races in the world with prize money reserved for all the top 10 finishers.

With his second-place finish, Kotut walked away with the $11,300 reserved for runners-ups and there is more, as a bonus of $16,950 was paid to athletes who clocked under 2:03:30.

It means Kotut will earn a total of $28,250 (Ksh3,636,138) from his second place in Berlin, a good return following on his second place finish at the 2023 Amsterdam Marathon.

Ketama got over the line first as she led Ethopia to a clean podium swoop in the 50th edition of the Berlin Marathon on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Kiprop will miss out on the time bonus after coming home eight seconds behind the required time, but will bank the $6,780 (Ksh872,673) that goes to fourth place finishers in the German capital.

It was a bad day at the office for Kenyan women who failed to finish in the top 10 with the best placed being Pauline Esikon in 16th position.

It means no Kenyan woman will get a share of the prize money in Berlin after Ethiopians dominated, claiming seven of the top 10 positions.