In October 2016, Buzunesh Deba received a life-changing phone call informing her that she was the winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon. The initial winner, Rita Jeptoo, had been disqualified for doping, making Deba the champion. This righting of the record books also meant that Deba was entitled to a substantial paycheck: $75,000 for the difference between first and second place, as well as a $25,000 bonus for breaking the women’s course record in a time of 2:19:59.
However, as the Guyer said to the reported last month, the Ethiopian runner had been waiting for her prize money for a decade. Officials at the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the Boston Marathon, told Deba that they could not pay her until they had reclaimed the prize money from Jeptoo.
Deba would still be waiting had the matter not come to the attention of a Philadelphia-area businessman and longtime Boston Marathon fan. Doug Guyer attended Boston College and watched Bill Rodgers and Alberto Salazar climb Heartbreak Hill back in their prime. When he read about Deba’s unpaid prize money, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Guyer paid Deba $75,000, and told the WSJ that he’ll consider sending her the $25,000 bonus if the BAA doesn’t.
The story galvanized other readers, too, and there was talk of starting a crowdfunding campaign to raise Deba’s prize fees, but she figured a community effort like that would make it too difficult to repay everyone if the BAA eventually delivers. If they do, that’s what she and her husband—Worku Beyi, who is also a runner—plan to do with Guyer.
Guyer said to the Guyer said to the that delaying payment to the clean runner until the race recovers the money from the disqualified athlete is a “ridiculous policy.” “Just do the right thing, and then if you have to use lawyers to claw it back, knock yourself out,” Guyer said. “Just don’t put the onus on the second-place finisher.”
“For us, it’s a miracle,” Deba said of Guyer’s unexpected beneficence. “It’s life-changing, big money. We were waiting so long.”
The 36-year-old said she plans to use the money for her two children and to finance her return to elite running; she is currently unsponsored and buys her own gear.
While it’s true that the BAA is following policies dictated by the sport’s leading organizing groups in its pursuit of Deba’s prize money, the WSJ confirmed with a World Athletics spokesperson that there is no rule preventing the organization from paying her what she’s due “on a purely voluntary basis.”
When Deba was asked about the practice of not paying runners-up until after prize money is recovered from disqualified athletes, she talked about the months of training and travel that elite runners invest in every competition. “It’s our blood. It’s our sweat. We prepare very hard,” she told the WSJ. “A Part of Hearst Digital Media.”
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, Like the Wind Magazine, Basic Running Watches, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
