The Marathon Project Announces $40,000 Prize Purse and Early Professional Entries

Total prize purse will double that of the original Marathon Project held in 2020.

CHANDLER, AZ — (July 1, 2025) — The Marathon Project has announced that it will be offering $40,000 in total prize money to athletes in its Professional Men’s and Women’s races on Sunday, December 21. The winner in each race will receive $10,000 with the runners-up earning $5,000 and the third-place finishers taking home $2,500. Fourth- and fifth-place will receive $1,500 and $1,000, respectively. The $40,000 total purse is a 100% increase from the original Marathon Project event held in December of 2020 and will be the largest road race purse in the State of Arizona.

In addition to the prize purse announcement, race organizers have also released the names of eight early Professional Race entrants. On the women’s side, reigning California International Marathon runner-up, Jackie Gaughan, 2022 USATF Marathon champion, Paige Wood, and Polish steeplechase national record-holder, Alicja Konieczek, are all entered. Gaughan has a personal best of 2:24:40 and Wood has run 2:26:02, while The Marathon Project will be Konieczek’s debut. One of the top female masters runners in the world, Hanna Lindholm of Sweden, is also scheduled to compete.

The men’s race already features a number of entrants who will be looking to match the exploits of the seven men who broke the 2:10:00 barrier at The Marathon Project 2020. American Colin Mickow, who finished 12th in 2020 and went on to represent the U.S. at the 2022 World Championships, is set to return. Leading the newcomers is Canadian 2:10:35 performer, Thomas Broatch, who won the 2023 Canadian Marathon Championships. Top Americans include JP Flavin of the Hansons Brooks Distance Project, who recently ran 2:10:50 in April’s Boston Marathon, and Josh Izewski of ZAP Endurance who ran a best of 2:10:54 at the 2025 Chevron Houston Marathon.

The Marathon Project CEO, Ben Rosario, said that the TMP ownership group is happy to be doubling the prize purse from 2020, but that they do not want to stop there.

“Prize purses are going up in individual sports all over the world, but things have been fairly stagnant in professional running,” Rosario said. “Our goal is to start at $40,000 in 2025 and put on an amazing race that increases interest, participation, and sponsor dollars in year two, year three, etc. so that we can continue raising the purse in 2026 and beyond.”

The Marathon Project will include an entire weekend of races at the Wild Horse Pass resort in Chandler, Ariz. starting on Saturday, December 20 with the TMP 5k for runners of all ages and abilities and the Gold Wave Marathon featuring amateur marathoners from around the world. The next day’s Professional Races will be broadcast live on Flotrack with play-by-play personality Steve Sievert and color commentators Scott Fauble and Molly Seidel on the call. All Marathon Project Gold Wave and Professional Race participants will receive up to six personal bottles on the course as a part of the Blank’s Sports Nutrition Personal Bottles Program.

For more information or to register to compete visit www.themarathonproject.com.

About The Marathon Project
The Marathon Project aims to create a premier race weekend for athletes and fans alike, providing amateur and professional runners the opportunity to run as fast as possible while giving fans the most intimate viewing experience in the world of marathoning. Apply to race, pace, or volunteer today at www.themarathonproject.com.

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