Kenya’s dominance in global marathon running continued as Sebastian Sawe and Hellen Obiri led an impressive showing in the 2025 World Marathon Majors. Sawe walked away with Ksh6.4 million after being crowned the men’s series champion, while Obiri, Sharon Lokedi, and Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shared the women’s prize following a thrilling season finale in New York.
The World Marathon Majors is a prestigious annual competition that rewards consistency and excellence across seven major races — Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, Sydney, and New York. Athletes accumulate points based on their finishing positions, with 25 points awarded for first place, 16 for second, nine for third, four for fourth, and one for fifth. In Olympic and World Championship years, those events also count toward the standings.
After the final leg of the 2025 series at the New York Marathon, Sawe finished unchallenged at the top of the men’s leaderboard with 50 points, securing the Ksh6.4 million ($50,000) prize. His dominance throughout the season ensured that rivals such as Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who both finished on 41 points, could not overtake him.
In the women’s race, the battle went down to the wire. Hellen Obiri’s victory at the New York Marathon saw her finish on 41 points, matching Sharon Lokedi and Tigst Assefa. Lokedi, who came second in New York, also reached 41 points, while Assefa had led the standings before the final race. With all three tied, race organizers decided that the women would share the title and split the $50,000 prize equally.
The result means Obiri celebrates back-to-back Marathon Majors victories after winning the title in 2024. The top five athletes in both men’s and women’s categories also receive cash rewards, with second place earning Ksh3.2 million, third Ksh1.6 million, fourth Ksh966,000, and fifth Ksh644,000, recognizing the elite performances of the world’s best long-distance runners.
