Early Christmas for Kiplagat as she bags Sh51m

IAAF World Marathon silver medallist Edna Kiplagat has bagged $500,000 (Sh51.5 million) after winning Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) treble.

Kiplagat, 38, who also won the prestigious title in 2010/11 and 2013/14 seasons, joins compatriot Eliud Kipchoge, who has been previously announced as winners of Series X.

“Edna’s outstanding victory in Boston in 2017 and her second place in Chicago in 2016 makes her the winner of Series X, and she is an inspiration to all Abbott World Marathon Majors runners,” said Tim Hadzima, AbbottWMM general manager. “We are delighted that we can now honour her outstanding achievements.”

Kiplagat will receive a prize purse of 51.5 million for topping the leaderboard with 41 points in AbbottWMM Series X, which concluded at the 2017 Boston Marathon. AbbottWMM redistributed its series prize money structure to recognise and reward the top three leaderboard athletes for Series XI, which is now underway.

Kiplagat is now, along with Irina Mikitenko of Germany, a three-time AbbottWMM champion as she also won the title at the end of Series V and Series VIII.

“They say that good things come in threes, and that has been true for me this year.

“At Boston this spring, I won in my third different AbbottWMM city. Then in August, I won my third World Championships Marathon medal. And now I have won the AbbottWMM championships for the third time.

“I have always wanted to challenge myself at the highest levels of our sport, and these marathons have provided me with that opportunity. I look forward to again racing against the world’s best women at the AbbottWMM events in 2018.”

Kiplagat is receiving the AbbottWMM Series X title following the completion of the doping investigation process for Jemima Sumgong, who has been banned for four years by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) for her use of EPO.

Any athlete found guilty of an anti-doping violation is not eligible to win an AbbottWMM Series title and is banned for life from all AbbottWMM events.

At the 2017 Boston Marathon, Kiplagat beat former compatriot Rose Chelimo, now a Bahraini, and American Jordan Hasay as she clocked 2:21.52 to win the women’s race.

She opened up an unassailable lead just after the 30km mark, powering up the famous Heartbreak Hill before taking on the broad downtown roads alone towards the finish line. She was embraced by her son Carlos and her daughter Wendy at the finish line.

In October 2016, Kiplagat edged ahead of Kenyan Valentine Kipketer in the final few kilometres to take second place behind compatriot ?Florence Kiplagat in the 2016 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, finishing in 2:23.28. ?

The Abbott World Marathon Majors is a collective of the world’s top six marathons: the Tokyo, Boston, Virgin Money London, BMW Berlin, Bank of America Chicago, and TCS New York City Marathons.

AbbottWMM awards its annual title to men and women runners and wheelchair athletes who earn the most points within a one-year cycle of performances at its six races as well as the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, and IAAF World Championships when they occur.

AbbottWMM Series XI continues at the February 25, 2018 Tokyo Marathon. Kiplagat will return to defend her title at the Boston Marathon on April 16, 2018, before Series XI concludes at the April 22, 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon.