Olympic track and field winners will win more than eternal glory for the first time with $50,000 prize money: 'They deserve some skin in the game'

four runners on a race track (Credit: Christian Petersen—Getty Images)

The Paris Olympics, set to commence next week, will be a milestone. 

It’ll be the first time in the Olympics’ 128-year history that track and field winners will receive prize money, in addition to having their names etched in the sport’s history.