Hellen Obiri to Kelvin Kiptum: The Top 6 Highest Paid Kenyan Athletes in 2023

• Kenyan track and field athletes were on fire in 2023
• Faith Kipyegon and Kelvin Kiptum broke world records, while Emmanuel Wanyonyi showed great promise
• Sports Brief looks at the highest-paid track and field athletes in 2023

The season for road running is coming to an end after the 2023 New York City Marathon. It's been a great year for Kenyan track and field athletes.

Kenyan stars have brought Kenya pride and, by doing so, earned themselves a serious amount of money as a reward for their excellent performances.

There was a lot of track and field action in 2023. The Diamond League gave us incredible memories, the 2023 World Athletics Championships was one for the books, and road running delivered historic moments.

2024 is an Olympics year, and most athletes will be focusing all their efforts on Paris. In 2023, Kenyan track and field stars broke world records and won gold medals on track and on the road.

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Sports Brief looks at the highest-paid Kenyan track and field athletes in 2023.

The final amounts include official prize money in the Diamond League, World Athletics Championships, World Athletics Road Running Championships, and world marathon majors.

It also excludes endorsements, sponsorships, and appearance fees.

7. Beatrice Chebet - Women's 5000m

Chebet won three Diamond League races and finished second in the final in September. So, she won $54,000 in the event. At the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, she finished third in the women's 5000m, earning $22,000.

She also won the women's 5 kilometres in the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, winning $10,000. All her earnings total $86,000 (over Ksh13 mil).

6. Mary Moraa - Women's 800m

Moraa had an outstanding season. She clocked a personal best of 1:56:03 to win the women's 800m in Budapest, beating favourite and world and Olympic champion, Athing Mu. She became the third Kenyan to win a gold medal in the event after Janeth Jepkosgei (2007) and Eunice Sum (2013).

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The gold medal earned her $70,000. She won four Diamond League series meetings but finished fourth in the final, winning a total of $36,000.

In total, in 2023, she made slightly over Ksh16 mil.

4. Emmanuel Wanyonyi - Men's 800m

At 19, Wanyonyi is a world silver medalist and a Diamond League champion. In the 2023 season, he won four Diamond League races, including the final on September 17 in Eugene.

Therefore, in the Diamond League, he won a total of $71,000, which is over Ksh10 mil. He also finished second in the men's 800m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, which earned him $35,000 (over Ksh5 mil).

In total, the young athlete earned just over Ksh16 mil in 2023.

3. Kelvin Kiptum - Men's Marathon world record

Kiptum was tipped to shatter the men's marathon record at some point in his career. Luckily, it came in his third marathon in Chicago in October.

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Kiptum clocked an incredible time of 2:00:35, shaving a mind-boggling 34 seconds off the world record held by Eliud Kipchoge.

A total of $560,000 in prize money was on offer ($280,000 for men and $280,000 for women). Here is a breakdown. Runners who break the world record get a $50,000 bonus, per NBC Chicago.

Therefore, Kiptum earned a total of $150,000 for winning the Chigaco Marathon and breaking the world record. It translates to over Ksh22 mil.

In April, Kiptum won the London Marathon and reportedly received around $55,000. Therefore, he bagged around Ksh31 mil.

2. Faith Kipyegon - 1500m, 5000m, Mile

Kipyegon had the best year of any athlete in the world. She won two goals medals at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, broke three world records, and won the Diamond League final in September.

The 29-year-old won a total of $80,000 in the 2023 Diamond League season. This excludes a bonus for breaking the world record. In Kenya shillings, she got over 12 million Kenyan shillings. She won five Diamond League races in the women's 1500m, 5000m, and the Mile, including the final in September.

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In Budapest, she won two gold medals, which earned her $140,000. That totals to over Ksh21 mil.

Her season finished when she came in third in the women's mile, which saw her receive $3,500. When converted to Kenyan shillings, she got over 500,000.

In total, Kipyegon earned Ksh33.5mil in 2023 alone.

1. Hellon Obiri - Women's marathon

Obiri won the 2023 Boston Marathon and, most recently, the New York City Marathon. Interestingly, she has only taken part in three marathons in her career.

In Boston, she won $150,000, and on Sunday, November 5, she took home $100,000, meaning she won $250,000 in just two races.

She was the highest-paid Kenyan track and field athlete in 2023, earning a total of Ksh37 mil.

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Sports Brief earlier reported on the final medals table at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August.

The United States of America accumulated the most medals; Canada finished second, Spain third, and Jamaica fourth.

Kenya finished the championships as the highest-ranked African nation, finishing fifth ahead of Ethiopia in 6th.