Lisbon offers 150K EUR bounty for new records

Therefore, as an incentive for the elite, the race organisers Maratona Clube de Portugal today announced a bonus of 150,000 Euro (162,500 USD) for new world records in this year’s race.

Lisbon already holds the best men’s mark – 57:31 (Jacob Kiplimo, in 2021) – and now, as well as wanting to improve on that stratospheric record, it also wants to add the women’s record, which is currently held by Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey, with 1:02:52 in Valencia, the same year.

In addition to Kiplimo’s time, Lisbon has been the scene of other world and European records in the past, such as Zersenay Tadese’s world record in 2010 or Mo Farah’s continental record in 2015.

Carlos Moia, president of the Maratona Clube de Portugal (MCP) says: “This bonus of 150,000 EUR for a possible world record, both female and male, reflects our unwavering commitment to promoting talent and inspiring athletes to reach new heights of success and overcoming. We will continue our tradition of recognizing and rewarding excellence. Lisbon, with all its light and good energy, provides the perfect setting for moments of great achievement.”

Sunday’s races will be broadcast directly on RTP1 and RTP Internacional to more than 200 million potential viewers around the world.