Ten years and one month after Buzunesh Deba became the legitimate winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon, she finally received the bonus she never received, but it didn’t come from Boston Sports association.
Instead, it came from a stranger.
When Deba crossed the finish line on Boylston Street in 2014, she didn’t receive international acclaim, a golden wreath or a $100,000 prize ($75,000 for winning, $25,000 for breaking the track record). Instead, those honors and victories belong to Rita Jeptoo, who crossed the finish line first that year but had her victory stripped by the BAA in 2016 due to a failed drug test.
Deba finished second that day, just over a minute behind Jeptoo, but her time of 2 hours, 19 minutes and 59 seconds still broke the course record set by Margaret Okyo in 2002.
However, the money never appeared in Deba’s bank account, despite her name replacing Geputo’s in the history books after the failed test.
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Although Geputo’s record was wiped and her name sullied, her winnings were never recovered. A similar case occurred at the Chicago Marathon, where Liliya Shobukhova won the race three times for a total of $265,000 before being arrested for doping. Like Jeptoo, Shobukhova did not recover any money.
Until Doug Gale gave her the money out of his own pocket. Gayle, a businessman from Philadelphia, personally paid Deba $75,000 in April after reading a Wall Street Journal article about her never receiving her bonus.
“We cried. I called my mom and told her she was so happy,” Deba said Competitor in an email.
Debah has represented Ethiopia internationally and lives in the Bronx, New York, with her husband and two children.
She had success at the 2014 New York City Marathon, finishing ninth, and returned to Boston in 2015, finishing third.
But for Deba, the 2014 victory remains the pinnacle of her career. For her family, these bonuses are much needed.
“It means a lot. It allows me to train again. We don’t have sponsors. We have to pay for everything,” she said. “I have two children. The money will go towards my training and my family. We are so grateful. We have waited so long and almost gave up. God bless Mr. Doug.
Guyer, who played football at Boston College and was passed over for the starting quarterback job in 1981 by Doug Flutie, told the Boston Globe, “It’s just about correcting a mistake that’s been made for 10 years. mistake.
Gaye said he would consider issuing a $25,000 course record bonus if the BAA didn’t do so.
The BAA said in a statement it was “recovering Rita Jeptoo’s winnings” and planned to pay Deba the winnings once they are received by the association. The organization said it was supported by policies set by World Athletics and supported by the World Marathon Grand Slams.
A spokesman for the BAA said: “The BAA is still pursuing Ms Jeptoo to recover the winnings for Ms Deba, which the BAA believes will be a fair and equitable outcome for her and all contestants who abide by the rules.”
Deba said she had doubts about Jeptoo’s performance from the day of the 2014 race, saying she wanted to know why Jeptoo didn’t tire when he crossed the finish line.
Deba looks back at the final stretch of the race on Boylston Street during the 2014 Boston Marathon. (Photo: Dina Ruddick/Getty Images)
But when Deba was told she was the winner in 2016, she couldn’t believe it.
“I was jumping around my apartment. This was my biggest victory,” she said. “Not only am I the champion, but I’m also the course record holder.”
Deba said that despite waiting for ten years, she never held a grudge against the BAA. Instead, she considers the organization “like a family.”
Although she went public with her story in April, weeks before the tenth anniversary of her award, she held off on going public for years because she believed the BAA would do the right thing for her. She was also worried that if she said something, she wouldn’t be invited back to the prestigious competition.
“It all started when my friend came to my apartment, looked at my second place trophy and asked, ‘What is this? Where is your real trophy?’ I told her they never sent me a letter. ,” Deba said. “She felt very sorry for me. We wrote to them and I ended up getting the medal. Then they invited me to a celebration for the ten-year winners. She told me I should see what they planned to do with the money.
In response to the Wall Street Journal report, fans from around the world came to Deba’s defense, with many even offering to crowdfund her winnings.
“I feel grateful to know that so many people support me,” Deba said. “It’s important for people to know how much hard work I put in to win. That’s my job. I’m not begging for something that’s not mine. It took a lot of hard work to win, and I’m glad to see the community agrees with me.
Deba said it was not until after the April article was published that the BAA responded in an attempt to advance her case.
However, this has not diminished her love for the race, or even prevented her from returning to the world’s most famous marathon.
“I still dream of coming back and not only running, but winning Boston,” she said.
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(Photo: John Blandin/The Boston Globe, Getty Images)
