Betsy Saina Marathon Salary and Net Worth

Betsy Saina is a Kenyan-born American long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon. She has won several prestigious races and represented the United States at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In this article, we will explore her salary, net worth and assets, education, career highlights, awards, personal life, and how much she earns from running.

Betsy Saina Marathon Salary And Net Worth

Betsy Saina’s net worth is estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million as of 2023. Her main source of income is from being a professional runner. She is sponsored by Nike and runs for the Bowerman Track Club in Portland, Oregon. She also earns prize money from winning or placing in major marathons and road races around the world.

Some of her notable earnings include:

• $55,000 for winning the 2018 Paris Marathon
• $20,000 for winning the 2023 Seville Half Marathon
• $10,000 for winning the 2014 Falmouth Road Race
• $5,000 for winning the 2016 Millrose Games indoor 5000 meters

Betsy Saina’s assets are not publicly known, but she likely owns a house and a car in the United States. She also supports her family in Kenya financially.

Education

Betsy Saina began running as a teenager in Eldoret, Kenya with hopes to pursue education at Itigo Girls High School. Her family had success in distance running, so her sisters mentored her as a youth to prepare her for the national stage of running. Her performance at the African junior national championship caught the attention of scouts and recruiters.

She received a scholarship to study at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where she earned an agriculture and life sciences degree with a focus on nursing. She graduated in 2013 with honors and was named the Iowa State Female Athlete of the Year.

Career Highlights

Betsy Saina had a stellar collegiate career at Iowa State University, where she won three NCAA titles: the 2012 cross country championship, the 2012 indoor 5000 meters championship, and the 2013 outdoor 10,000 meters championship. She also set school records in both events and was a nine-time Big 12 champion and an 11-time All-American runner.

She turned professional in 2013 and joined the American Distance Project elite training group based in Colorado Springs under coach Scott Simmons. She ran a world-leading indoor 5000 meters time of 14:42.67 in January 2014 and finished second at the Carlsbad 5000 road race in March 2014. She also improved her personal bests in the 10,000 meters (30:57.30) and the half marathon (1:09:17) that year.

In 2015, she moved to Portland, Oregon to train with the Nike Bowerman Track Club under coach Jerry Schumacher. She qualified for the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, where she placed eighth in the 10,000 meters. She also qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where she finished fifth in the same event with a personal best of 30:07.78.

In 2017, she made her marathon debut at the Tokyo Marathon but did not finish due to stomach problems. She also dropped out of the New York City Marathon later that year due to injury. However, she bounced back in 2018 by winning her first marathon title at the Paris Marathon with a time of 2:22:56, which was also a personal best. She also placed eighth at the Frankfurt Marathon later that year with a time of 2:24:35.

In 2019, she finished third at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon with a time of 2:22:43, which was her second-fastest marathon ever. She also ran well at shorter distances, placing fourth at the New York City Half Marathon (1:11:49) and fifth at the Falmouth Road Race (36:34).

In 2020, she did not compete due to the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted most races around the world. However, she gave birth to her son Kipchoge on December 18th, which was a joyful moment for her and her husband Kennedy Kithuka.

In 2021, she returned to racing after recovering from childbirth and ran a personal best of 1:07:55 at the Istanbul Half Marathon in April. She also finished fourth at the New York City Half Marathon in November with a time of 1:09:34.

In 2023, she started the year with a bang by winning the Seville Half Marathon in January with a course record of 1:08:25, which was also her second-fastest half marathon ever. She also qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games by finishing fifth at the Tokyo Marathon in March with a time of 2:21:40, which was her third-fastest marathon ever.

Awards

Betsy Saina has won several awards and honors for her achievements in running. Some of them include:

• The Honda Sports Award as the nation’s best female collegiate cross-country runner in 2013
• The Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association Athlete of the Year in 2013
• The Iowa State Cyclones Female Student-Athlete of the Year in 2012 and 2013
• The Big 12 Conference Female Athlete of the Year in 2013
• The Iowa State University Alumni Association Impact Award in 2014

Personal Life

Betsy Saina is married to Kennedy Kithuka, who is also a Kenyan-born American runner and a former NCAA champion at Texas Tech University. They met at Iowa State University, where Kithuka was studying before transferring to Texas Tech. They got married in 2016 and have a son named Kipchoge, who was born in 2020.

Saina is a devout Christian and credits God for her success and motivation. She also loves reading books, watching movies, and spending time with her family and friends. She is active on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, where she shares her running journey and personal life with her fans.

How much Earn Per

Betsy Saina earns a substantial amount of money from her running career. She has a lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike, which provides her with shoes, apparel, and other benefits. She also receives prize money from winning or placing in major races around the world. The average prize money for winning a World Marathon Major race is $150,000, while the average prize money for finishing in the top 10 is $10,000. Saina has won one World Marathon Major race (the Paris Marathon) and finished in the top 10 in three others (the Tokyo Marathon, the Frankfurt Marathon, and the Toronto Waterfront Marathon). She has also won several other races that offer smaller but still significant prize money.

Based on her results and earnings from 2018 to 2023, we can estimate that Saina earns around $200,000 to $300,000 per year from running. This does not include any bonuses or incentives from Nike or other sources. However, this also does not account for any expenses such as travel, coaching, training, taxes, or agent fees. Therefore, her actual net income may be lower than this estimate.

Conclusion

Betsy Saina is one of the best female marathon runners in the world. She has overcome many challenges and setbacks to achieve her goals and dreams. She is an inspiration to many young runners, especially women and girls from Kenya and Africa. She is also a role model for balancing her professional and personal life as a mother and a wife. She has shown that anything is possible with hard work, dedication, faith, and passion.

Most Asked Questions and Answers

Q: Where was Betsy Saina born?

A: Betsy Saina was born in Kenya on June 30th, 1988.

Q: When did Betsy Saina start running for the United States?

A: Betsy Saina started running for the United States in June 2021 after obtaining her citizenship.

Q: What is Betsy Saina’s personal best time in the marathon?

A: Betsy Saina’s personal best time in the marathon is 2:21:40, which she ran at the Tokyo Marathon in March 2023.

Q: How many Olympic Games has Betsy Saina competed in?

A: Betsy Saina has competed in one Olympic Games so far, which was the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. She finished fifth in the women’s 10,000 meters.

Q: How many NCAA titles did Betsy Saina win at Iowa State University?

A: Betsy Saina won three NCAA titles at Iowa State University: the cross-country championship in 2012, the indoor 5000-meter championship in 2012, and the outdoor 10,000-meter championship in 2013.

Q: Who is Betsy Saina’s husband?

A: Betsy Saina’s husband is Kennedy Kithuka, who is also a Kenyan-born American runner and a former