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While organizers of Sunday's LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon are downplaying the liklihood of a world record during the race's 31st running, there is plenty of money on offer should anything remotely close to an attack on Paul Tergat's 2:04:55 and Paula Radcliffe's 2:15:25 come to pass.
The race's prize purse totals US$ 650,000, with $125,000 going to the men's and women's winners. Prize money will be awarded to the top five finishers, ranging from $65,000 for the runners-up to $15,000 to the fifth place finishers. But in the open race, all men who cross the line in under 2:12:00, and all women who finish in under 2:28:00, will not leave empty-handed.
Time incentive bonuses range from $300,000 for a world record to $3500 for a sub 2:12:00 for men and sub 2:28:00 for women. A sub 2:06:30 will add $55,000 to men's place paycheck; a woman will have to run under 2:19:30 to earn the same bonus. A sub 2:09 for men and sub 2:24:45 means an extra $10,000.
Chicago also has a generous $80,000 on offer to U.S. runners, dubbed the American Development Bonus Program, part of the total prize purse. The bonuses, awarded to the top 25 American men and top 25 women, ranges from $4,500 for the first Americans to reach the line, to $1,000 for those finishing 19th to 25th.
Additionally, bonuses will also be awarded to any U.S. runners who meet the qualifying standards for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials. Those meeting the "A" standard, 2:20:00 for men and 2:39:00 for women, will receive $2500, and those meeting the "B" standards of 2:22:00 and 2:47:00 will receive $1500.
Chicago's $650,000 guaranteed prize pot was the largest in the sport until organizers of the ING New York Marathon announced earlier this month that its guaranteed prize purse this year will total more than $749,000 across all divisions.
In 2005, a total of $849,500 was awarded in Chicago in all divisions.
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