They'll soon be in the running for bonus money

While those who stride to the starting line of the Boston Marathon Monday likely won't be thinking beyond the grueling 26.2 miles they're about to cover, the top contenders (and the organizers) know that this time, for the first time, they'll be starting a much longer journey, one that encompasses two years and more than 262 miles.

Which, for anyone with a number and a pair of running shoes, probably seems slightly daunting.

But the organizers of the new World Marathon Majors Series, which kicks off with Boston, are thinking far beyond all the sneakers that will be sacrificed. It's about raising the profile of the sport and, in doing so, handing out a pair of impressive monetary rewards to the male and female winners of the points system created for the newly affiliated group of five of the world's most prestigious marathons.

With the creation of the series, the race directors of the five participating marathons -- Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York (though the world championships and Olympics will also serve as qualifying races) -- hope to increase the television and media coverage, and fan interest in the premier distance races, as well as, in time, the prize package that now stands at $1 million split evenly between the male and female winners.

''There needs to be a better public recognition of who these athletes are," said Guy Morse, executive director of the Boston Marathon. ''This is a way to link the events together, so there's more of a constant buzz. There's already a lot of speculation about who's going to run [in Boston], then who's going to run in the fall. This is just the first of many steps [toward] promotion and recognition to help these athletes move more into the mainstream."

In the World Marathon Majors Series, runners are awarded points, which accumulate during the two-year period, for finishing in the top five at qualifying events. First place receives 25 points, with second place earning 15, third place 10, fourth 5, and fifth 1 point. Organizers decided not to base the points system on finishing times, because of the differences in the courses. Boston is generally regarded as a slower and more difficult race than, for example, Chicago, because of the hills.

It's not unusual in this world of competing for attention and media time to create a series that culminates with an eye-popping monetary reward. Horse racing has done it with the Triple Crown Series. Tennis has done it with the US Open Series. Each sport has attempted, in blending unrelated events, to heighten interest on all sides. Morse said the marathon directors integrated what these sports and others, such as NASCAR and its Chase for the Nextel Cup, had done for their series.

Marathons are different, though, which complicates the initiative. Elite racers, unlike tennis players or even thoroughbreds, can participate in, really, no more than two events each year, which makes it a challenge to create interest in a runner who isn't seen often. In fact, only results from up to four marathons in the two-year period will be counted toward a runner's total, in a preventative measure to ensure athletes won't overextend or endanger themselves for the prize.

''This was no small feat what these folks did," said Mark Wetmore, president of Global Athletics & Marketing Inc., which has represented three Boston winners, Cosmas Ndeti, Fatuma Roba, and Hailu Negussie. ''You're talking about people who have major events under their control. They were willing to cede some of that for the good of the group. It's really something, especially when you talk about London and Boston [which traditionally are run within a week of each other].

''Everybody had to put away their ego for a day."

The institution of the World Marathon Majors Series should have another result. Instead of running Boston or London in the spring, then heading off to, say, Amsterdam in the fall, elite runners will be more likely to confine their schedules to the five currently affiliated, Wetmore said, helping to ensure their fields will contain the biggest names.

But it may not be five forever. While the first cycle or two will be used to evaluate the system, organizers say they are open to including more marathons, though the series won't be allowed to expand too much. One top potential candidate could be the new race in Tokyo.

Right now, though, it's about building a base, increasing a fandom and a market, through TV and media coverage.

''This is really only the beginning," said Mary Wittenberg, race director of the New York City Marathon. ''As a group, we have a very big agenda. We have high aspirations for this sport. We believe fervently in the sport and in our athletes. The whole idea of the five of us working together, of this World Marathon Majors Series, is to do all we can to elevate the sport, increase identity and awareness of our athletes, and for our sport, which we so believe in, to be on par with the other great sports of the world."