Mikitenko, Wanjiru share $1 million prize after winning World Marathon Majors series 2008-09 – European Athletics (EAA) – NEWS

Germany's Irina Mikitenko and Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru pocketed a purse of $500,000 each as the winners of the World Marathon Majors series 2008-09 that concluded with the New York City Marathon on Sunday.

Mikitenko, with victories in London ('09), Berlin ('08) and a second place in Chicago ('09) mustered 90 points to emerge as the overall winner in the women's category while Wanjiru also collected 90 points with victories in London ('09) and Chicago ('09).

The World Marathon Majors is a series consisting of five of the largest and most renowned Marathon races in the world: the Boston Marathon, London Marathon, Berlin Marathon, Chicago Marathon and New York City Marathon.

Marathon legend Haile Gebrselassie with 50 points finished second in the 2008-09 series while Robert Kipkoech Cheruyiot finished third with 41 points after his second place at the New York City Marathon on Sunday.

In the women's ranking, Dire Tune of Ethiopia finished second with 40 points while Russians Lidiya Grigoryeva and Lilyia Shobukhova shared third spot with 35 points each.

The 37-year-old Mikitenko also won the overall prize in 2007-08 while Gete Wami of Ethiopia claimed the title in the inaugural edition in 2006-07.

In the men's category Kenyan Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot won the inaugural edition in 2006-07 while compatriot Martin Lel claimed the prize in the 2007-08 series.

The series operates on a two-year cycle, with elite Marathon athletes expected to compete at the top level in two races a year and sometimes three.

In any two-year cycle, a minimum of 10 different World Marathon Majors Qualifying Races take place. Besides the five major races, performances at the IAAF World Championships Marathon and the Olympic Marathon are also taken into account.

These seven events provide a world stage and a variety of different courses on which the athletes can compete and challenge themselves individually.

Despite the two-year format, the $1 million prize purse is awarded annually.

The 2009-10 circuit has already started with Wanjiru once again in the lead with 50 points, while Mikitenko sits atop the leaderboard in the women's category with 40 points.

The next race of the World Marathon Major series will be the Boston Marathon on 19 April 2010 and the London Marathon on 25 April 2010.

European Athletics (EAA) – NEWS