Eliud Kipchoge net worth dwarfed by Usain Bolt despite both being greatest ever (2024)

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge is the greatest marathon runner of all time (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Eliud Kipchoge is aiming to make Olympic Games history by becoming the first athlete to win three consecutive marathon gold medals. The Kenyan runner makes his fifth and final Olympic appearance this Saturday, running through the streets of Paris against the backdrop of the city's most iconic landmarks.

Kipchoge, 39, already has gold medals from Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. He made the career-defining decision to switch to road running in 2012 and became the first man to complete 42.1km in under two hours, along with winning the London Marathon a record four times.

But despite his dominance, Kipchoge's financial success does not come close to some other top athletes. His net worth - estimated at $3million (£2.4m) - pales in comparison to Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt's $90m (£70.9m), even though the pair are the greatest ever over their respective distances.

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Kipchoge has won two gold medals at the Olympics (Image: Getty)

The Kenyan icon earns around £45,000 per event according to Sports Brief. He has gained income from awards and high-profile sponsorships, including a deal with Nike spanning over two decades. In 2019, he was gifted a special edition £41,000 Isuzu D-Max for breaking the two-hour barrier in Austria.

Boasting 2.6m followers on Instagram, he lives in the humble Kenyan village of Kaptagat, 30km from Eldoret. Despite Kipchoge's obvious marketability, Bolt trumped him with his Puma endorsem*nt alone, which saw him bring in over $10m (£8.2m) annually.

Bolt is a freak not only in being the fastest man ever while standing at 6’5, he is also unusually wealthy for a track and field star. He raked in record figures in his prime, helped by lucrative deals with Visa, Gatorade and Nissan.

Usain Bolt made more money from track and field than any other athlete (Image: Getty)

Bolt, 37, also released a best-selling autobiography which brought him a hefty advance from HarperCollins. He launched an electric scooter company in 2019 called Bolt Mobility and commands appearance fees of up to £240,000.

The Jamaican superstar's success may have contributed to his greater wealth than Kipchoge. He achieved unprecedented track dominance, winning an astonishing nine gold medals (one has since been chalked off) in nine attempts, whereas Kipchoge has two to his name.

Bolt's charisma, iconic celebration, apt surname, the popularity of sprinting as an event, and the title of 'the fastest man alive' are all factors that boosted his appeal. Generally, more people are drawn to a 9.58 second sprint than a two-hour marathon - but that certainly doesn't diminish Kipchoge's star power.