Before October 13, 2024, few people in Kenya and beyond had heard of John Korir.
By the end of that day, however, the 27-year-old had ascended to global fame and his name etched across major news networks in the country and around the world.
Korir stunned the athletics world by clinching victory at this year’s Chicago Marathon after crossing the finish line in a blistering 2:02:44.
It wasn’t just a win but a declaration of intent.
Ethiopia’s Mohammed Esa ( 2:04:39 ) and Amos Kipruto ( 2:04:50 ) completed the podium.
With his triumph, Korir joined a pantheon of Kenyan legends who have conquered Chicago, a prestigious race in the World Marathon Majors.
The legends include Joseph Nzau, who was the first Kenyan to win in Chicago in 1983 after clocking 2:09:44; Evans Rutto, who won in 2003 ( 2:05:50 ) and 2004 ( 2:06:16 ) and 2008 Olympic champion Samuel Wanjir, who secured back-to-back victories—2009 ( 2:05:41 ) and 2010 ( 2:06:23 ).
Others are former world record holder Dennis Kimetto, who won in 2013 ( 2:03:45 ) and two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge who was victorious in 2014 ( 2:04:11 ).
It is the same course that the late Kelvin Kiptum shattered the men’s marathon record to clock 2:00:35 to become the first man in history to break the two-hour and one-minute barrier.
After etching his name along with some of the top athletics talents in the country, Korir was over the moon noting that it was his first victory in a World Marathon Major.
“It meant a lot to me to have won in
Chicago because it was my first victory
in a marathon major,” he noted.
Korir’s victory came with added significance—a personal best and the sixth-fastest marathon time in history.
“What made it even more spectacular was that I recorded the sixth fastest time in marathon history. That announced my arrival to the global scene,” he stated.
Ahead of Korir in the all-time ranking are Olympic bronze medallist Benson Kipruto (fifth with 2:02:16 ), Sisay Lemma (fourth with 2:01:48 ), Kenenisa Bekele (third with 2:01:41 ), two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge (second with 2:01:09 ), with Kiptum firmly atop.
Korir revealed that he had expected a resounding victory in Chicago, owing to the training he had undergone.
“I had trained well for the race and I was fully prepared. I focused on long runs of 15-20 km to increase my mileage,” he said.
Korir’s success didn’t come overnight.
He revealed having made two previous appearances, he was confident of better results this year.
“I aimed to ensure I recorded an even better performance than the previous two times I had participated there. That drove me to get good results,” he noted.
Korir made his maiden appearance in Chicago in 2022 placing third in 2:05:01 behind Kipruto ( 2:04:24 ) and Ethiopia’s Seifu Tura ( 2:04:49 ).
He would feature yet again during the 2023 edition, this time missing the podium after placing fourth in 2:05:09— the race where Kiptum broke the world record.
“Despite not finishing on the podium, it was a privilege to have run in that race and witness Kiptum leap into the history books,” he said.
The victory in Chicago has transformed him into a village hero.
“People now stop me for selfies and conversations. My family is so proud and supportive,” he said.
“This is just the beginning of great things to come. Kenya should expect a more explosive 2025 season from me.”
Korir was born on December 2, 1996, to Nehemiah Korir and Roselyne Chelimo in Cherangany, an area with an approximate area of 556.9km square in Trans Nzoia.
The seventh born in a family of eight (three girls and five boys) would join Mary Land Academy in Cherangany, where he says his love for running ignited.
“My love for running began when I was in primary school. I started running the long distances 3000m and 5000m when I was in class three,” Korir remarked.
So good was he that he got the opportunity to represent his school during the regional tournament of the school games.
He would later on join Kimuron Boys’ High School in Elgeyo Marakwet, where he continued to hone his skills.
“In Kimuron, I was also able to represent my school in the regionals in the 5000m while in Form One. My performance was not that good but it was still motivational for me to have represented my school on such a big occasion,” he noted.
However, Korir had to drop out of school in Form Two in 2014 due to some challenges.
This, however, did not deter his love and passion for running.
He recalls how his elder brother Wesley Korir, who was also an athlete, continued chasing his dream of running.
“After I dropped out of school, my elder brother motivated me to continue running. He was a great athlete at that time and I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” he added.
Korir’s brother Wesley boasts an extensive resume having won the Los Angeles Marathon in 2009 in 2:08:24 before defending his title in 2010 with a time of 2:09:19.
Wesley further held the victory from the 2012 Boston Marathon, where he cut the tape in 2:12:14.
He would later go on to pursue politics and in 2013, he was elected as Member of Parliament for Cherangany Constituency as an independent candidate.
Although elected as an independent, he joined the Jubilee Party in 2016 before the 2017 general elections, where he lost his bid to represent Jubilee as the MP for Cherangany.
Korir began training specifically for the road races with the view of following in his brother’s footsteps and achieving even more than him.
“I started professional training for the roads in 2018 after my brother’s advice. I saw it as an opportunity to also curve my name in our village’s history and leave a mark just as my brother had done,” he noted.
The journey of going professional was, however, not without its challenges as Korir explains.
“The main challenge I faced was the lack of a proper coach to guide me and assist me in my training. My brother would guide me but at the time, he was also busy with other projects meaning I had to chart my own path without a proper coach,” he says.
His first international race came in 2018 at the Louisville Half Marathon, which he won in 1:02:21.
“My brother helped me register for the Louisville Half Marathon, which was my first major international race,” he said.
“I didn’t expect to win. It was my first race abroad and I relied on advice from other Kenyans in the race.”
Despite emerging victorious, Korir said the lack of a manager who would handle his finances was a challenge.
“I did not have a manager back then who would handle my finances and ensure I would get my full dues,” he said.
Managers hold an important role for athletes including planning and monitoring an athlete’s budget, marketing and public relations as well as communications to sponsors and donors.
His full marathon debut followed later that year in Ottawa, where he finished second in 2:09:14 behind Ethiopia’s Yemane Tsegay ( 2:08:52 ) and ahead of Adugna Takele ( 2:09:26 ).
On October 21, he made an appearance at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon but unfortunately failed to finish.
“That day it was cold and raining in Toronto. I am not accustomed to running in the cold because my body tends not to perform effectively,” he revealed.
In 2019, he featured at the Los Angeles Marathon, finishing second in 2:11:53 Elisha Barno ( 2:11:45 ).
“I was leading the race up to the final 100m stretch. I must have switched off because I did not see my opponent coming and he passed me to claim victory,” he revealed.
Korir’s fortunes shifted in 2021 when he won the Los Angeles Marathon, emulating his brother’s success.
That victory brought him sponsorship from ASEIS and a new coach, Ron Mann, who transformed his career.
“The race came just after the Covid. The pandemic to me was a blessing in disguise because it helped me get more mileage and train better. I wanted to win in Los Angeles to equal my brother. After the race, I got a sponsorship deal from ASEIS and coach Ron took me under his wing. My performance that year has been instrumental in shaping my career up till now,” he says.
Some of his other career highlights include defending his Los Angeles title in 2022 as well as standout performances, including a 58:50 at the 2024 Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon and a fourth-place finish in Boston ( 2:07:40 ).
His parting shot to young upcoming athletes is to exercise patience in their careers and run clean.
“The young
athletes need to
remain patient
and focused in
their career.
There are a lot
of doping cases
now and young
athletes should
avoid shortcuts
and just train hard.
Another key aspect
is for them to look
for good management
to oversee their careers.
Many people overlook the
importance of managers yet
they play an important role in
one’s career,” he said.
