IAAF’s rich Kampala pay day

Kenya cross country team captain Leonard Komon (left) exchanges notes with world 1,500 metres champion Asbel Kiprop (second right) and coaches Samson Katam (second left) and Francis Kamau at the team’s Kigari camp in Embu on March 8, 2017. PHOTO | CHARLES WANYORO |

What you need to know:

  • Winners of senior men’s, women’s races to walk off with Sh3 million each from prize pool
  • Sh31m up for grabs during World Cross Country Championships at Kololo Independence Grounds

A total of $310,000 (Sh31 million) in prize money will be awarded to the leading runners in the senior races at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships at Kampala’s Kololo Independence Grounds on Sunday.

Winners of the individual men’s and women’s races will each earn $30,000 (Sh3 million), with money paid out to the top six finishers, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced on Tuesday.

In total, $140,000 (Sh14 million) is on offer in the two senior races.

In the team contest in both senior races, there is another prize pool of $140,000, with $20,000 (Sh2 million) going to the winning team and prizes awarded to sixth place in both races, where the pay out by the IAAF is $4,000 (Sh400,000).

There is also a total prize pool of $30,000 (Sh3 million) on offer for the inaugural relay race, with $12,000 (Sh1.2 million) earmarked for the winning team.

The first four teams across the line will be awarded prize money, according to an announcement by the IAAF Tuesday. The prize money (in Kenya shillings) for the senior men’s and women’s races is as follows:

Individual men’s and women’s races: Winner (Sh3 million), second (Sh1.5 million), third (Sh1 million), fourth (Sh700,000), fifth (Sh500,000), sixth (Sh300,000).

Team races: First (Sh2 million), second (Sh1.6 million), third (Sh1.2 million), fourth (Sh1 million), fifth (Sh800,000), sixth (Sh400,000).

Relay race: First (Sh1.2 million), second (Sh800,000), third (Sh600,000), fourth (Sh400,000).

“No prize money (is) paid for the junior races. The payment of prize money in the senior races is dependent upon the athletes clearing the usual anti-doping procedures,” the IAAF statement added.

‘Team Kenya’ is confident of clinching most of the individual and team gold medals in Kampala on Sunday.