We've got all the details here, but Kipchoge basically has the 2022 WMM series wrapped up and was set to take home a cool $250k but now will only get $50k.
What makes it worse is they tried to sell it as a positive as they reduced the elite runners so much it's now equal to the wheelchair amount. In their press release announcing the development, they proudly proclaimed:
“Our move to equating the wheelchair racing division with the elite runner division across the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series competition is an important step for us as an organization. We want to champion all our elite athletes and by providing more prize money to our wheelchair division we hope this will help encourage others into the sport.”
In our mind, this is just the latest step in a gradual shift by the WMMs away from being focused on being an elite foot race.
The World Marathon Majors need to decide their path. Do they want to be a truly elite foot race and world-class sporting event that fans care about or double down on the path of trying to woke-wash away their stinginess?