John Korir dreams of a time under two hours in defending his title at Valencia Marathon

Two-time Boston Marathon champion John Korir said he was chasing his own place in history on Dec. 6, revealing he was working to break the two-hour barrier at the Valencia Marathon. The Valencia course is widely regarded as one of the fastest in the world, making it the perfect stage for a new assault on long-distance running records.

In April, Sabastian Sawe took the marathon into new territory, becoming the first person to officially run the 42km in under two hours after winning the London Marathon in 1:59:30. John Korir believes he has the strength to follow that historic feat. “I’ll be happy with any time I get in Valencia, but I pray I can run the distance in under two hours,” John Korir said.

The 29-year-old returns to Spain as the reigning champion after an impressive performance last year. John Korir won in 2:02:24, beating German Amanal Petros, who finished second in 2:04:03, while Norwegian Awet Nftalem Kibrab completed the podium in 2:04:24.

The elite runner says he is leaving nothing to chance as he finalizes his preparations for another title challenge. “My preparation for Valencia is going well.”

“I run between 45 and 48 kilometers a day and 250 to 270 kilometers a week,” John Korir noted. His training is focused on improving the two pillars of marathon excellence – speed and endurance.

“I focus on both speed and endurance,” he added. Standing between John Korir and a successful title defense is Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha, the second fastest marathoner in history. Yomif Kejelcha also broke two hours in London, finishing in 1:59:41 in second place behind Save, setting up a thrilling showdown in Valencia.

With two such fast marathoners in the race, speculation has already begun about whether Save’s historic record could be threatened. But Korir refuses to get carried away.

“I can’t talk about my goals for Valencia yet, but I pray to God for good health and to be injury-free,” he said. Korir enters the race with great confidence after a brilliant start to his 2026 campaign.