Ten years and one month after Buzunesh Deba finished as the rightful winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon, she was finally given the prize money she never received. However, it wasn’t from the Boston Athletic Association.
Instead, a stranger stepped in.
When Deba crossed the finish line in 2014, she didn’t receive the recognition, the ceremonial gold wreath, or the prize money of $100,000 that she rightfully earned. Those honors and winnings went to Rita Jeptoo, who was later disqualified in 2016 for a failed drug test.
Deba finished second, just over a minute behind Jeptoo, but her time of 2:19:59 broke the course record. Despite replacing Jeptoo in the history books, Deba never received the prize money.
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Despite Jeptoo’s disqualification and tarnished reputation, her winnings remained unrecovered, similar to other cases in marathon history.
It wasn’t until Doug Guyer, a businessman from Philadelphia, read an article about Deba’s situation and personally paid her the $75,000 prize money.
Deba was grateful and emotional about Guyer’s gesture, as the money was crucial for her training and supporting her family.
Guyer’s action was about correcting an injustice that had persisted for a decade. The BAA stated its intention to reclaim the prize money awarded to Jeptoo and eventually pay Deba her rightful winnings.
Deba, who had also competed in New York City and returned to Boston, considered the 2014 win as the highlight of her career.
She shared her story publicly in April, receiving overwhelming support from fans worldwide. Despite the long wait for her winnings, Deba harbored no bitterness towards the BAA and still held the organization in high regard.
Her dream remained to return to Boston Marathon and not only participate but also win.
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(Photo: John Blanding / The Boston Globe via Getty Images)