THOUSANDS of pounds of prize money is at stake as elite runners compete for top placing in the Yorkshire Marathon.

The race course was already being talked about as one of the flattest and fastest around, and elite racers, including marathon winners and Commonwealth medallists, will compete for a share of the £12,000 prize pot, the UK’s largest outside of London.

Lisa Ashcroft, who is the Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon’s event lead, said: “Introducing such an impressive prize structure in our first year reinforces our ambitions to be among the UK’s best marathons.

“That coupled with an exceptionally flat and fast course has led to much interest from elite athletes from Britain and across the world. We ‘re looking forward to seeing some fast times on race day.”

Kenyan runner John Mutai, winner of last year’s Edinburgh Marathon, is set to be among the leaders on raceday with a personal best time of two hours 11 minutes eight seconds.

Mutai won this year’s Lake Annecy Marathon in France, and has been in the top two in three Edinburgh Marathons and in four Belfast Marathons.

In York he will be competing against Kenyan compatriot Edwin Kiprop Korirt, who turns 25 on race day, and finished second in the Zurich Marathon earlier this year.

Home-grown talent includes Paul Marchant, from Leeds, who was the first Yorkshireman home in this year’s London Marathon in two hours 27 minutes.

Tarus Elly, 28, who lives in Manchester, will be racing in the first marathon ever in Yorkshire. Tarus was the winner of this year’s Asda Foundation Pennine Lancashire 10K, came second in the 2013 Chester Half Marathon and has a half marathon personal best of 66 minutes.

The women’s title will be hotly contested by Commonwealth Games silver medallist Helen Cherono Koskei.

The 29-year-old Kenyan, who has a personal best of two hours 29 minutes 33 seconds, was second in the Belfast Marathon this year and in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne seven years ago.

The Yorkshire Marathon will be the first UK race for Ethiopian rising star Tigist Sheni. The 27-year-old ran a two hours 32 minutes 34 seconds personal best to finish third in Zurich – the same position she claimed in 2012.

Sheni comes from the same small town of Bekoji as the Dibaba sisters, Bekele brothers and the Olympic Gold medallist Tiki Gelana.

British hopes in the women’s race will rest with Doncaster’s Jocelyn Payne, who has been the UK’s fastest under-23s female over 26 miles since 2011.

The flat York streets have made the Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon a popular draw, as have the prizes.

The winner of the male and female races will each receive £2,500.

Prizes go down to fifth and there is also a £500 bonus available to the top male and female British finishers.

In addition, there is a £500 bonus for the fastest non-elite male finisher under two hours 16 minutes and non-elite female under two hours 35 minutes.


Yorkshire Marathon prizes:

• First placed male and female – £2,500 each
• Second placed male and female – £1,250 each
• Third placed male and female – £750 each
• Fourth placed male and female – £375 each
• Fifth placed male and female – £125 each