John Korir targets sub-2:01-hour mark after his Boston Marathon win

After his second World Series marathon victory, rising long-distance runner John Korir has set a new goal for himself: to become only the second person in history to run the 42km in under 2:01 hours.

Until now, only Kelvin Kiptum has officially broken that barrier, clocking a stunning 2:00:35 hours en route to winning the 2023 Chicago Marathon – a time that still stands as a world record.

Only marathon icon Eliud Kipchoge has come close to that feat, winning the 2022 Berlin Marathon in 2:01:09 hours.

Ethiopian legends Kenenisa Bekele (2:01:41 hours in Berlin, 2019) and Sisay Lemma (2:01:48 hours in Valencia, 2023) also feature prominently in the all-time rankings.

While Eliud Kipchoge made history with an unofficial sub-two-hour marathon (1:59:40 hours) in the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in 2019, no one else has managed to break the 2:01 hours mark in a record-eligible race.

John Korir is the eighth-fastest marathoner in history thanks to his victory in Chicago last year in 2:02:44 hours.

In an exclusive interview with the Star, John Korir revealed his ambitious goal for the rest of his 2025 campaign – to run sub-2:01 hours in his upcoming races.

“Winning Boston was good for me. It gave me a lot of confidence. My goal for the rest of the year is to run a marathon in under 2:01”, revealed John Korir. Asked if he planned a direct attack on Kelvin Kiptum’s world record, he remained subdued but ambitious. “I’m not saying I’m going to attack the world record, but it’s an achievement that’s also on my mind this year”, added he.

John Korir says he’s in great shape and believes the goal is achievable.

“My body feels good and I’m confident I can achieve the goal I set for myself”, noted John Korir. He’s already back to training with light activities and strength training. “After Boston, I took some time off to recover, but I’m slowly getting back into training. I started with gym work and light evening runs of 15km. I’ll start intensive training next week”, said he.

John Korir, however, faces a tough choice: defending his title in Chicago or representing Kenya at the World Championships in Tokyo in September.

“I haven’t decided which race I’m going to do later in the year. I have two choices: the Chicago Marathon and the World Championships. I was recently invited to represent my country in Tokyo. I also want to defend my title in Chicago. I’ll have to wait and see what my older brother (Wesley Korir) and my manager advise me”, said John Korir.

On March 21 in Boston, John Korir clocked a time of 2:04:45, recording his second major marathon victory. He beat Tanzanian Alphonce Simbu (2:05:04) and compatriot Cyprian Kimurgor Kotut (2:05:04).

John Korir’s victory in Boston wasn’t just another win—it was historic. He and his older brother, Wesley, became the first brothers to win Boston Marathon titles, with Wesley triumphing in 2012 (2:12:40).

“My brother and I are the first brothers to win the Boston Marathon, which is awesome. It feels good that the Korir family made history, even though our wins came 11 years apart”, noted he.

The win meant even more after a dramatic start in which John Korir fell after being pinned from behind early in the race.

“At the beginning of the race, my leg got pinned from behind, I fell and hurt myself. But I didn’t let that deter me and I pushed hard to get the win and show the world that you can always get back up and succeed, no matter the challenge”, said he.

John Korir executed his race plan to perfection, breaking away from the lead group of six at 32km with a determined acceleration.

“My plan for Boston was to be patient and eventually break away from the lead group at 30 kilometers. That move worked in my favor because when I broke away, the other athletes didn’t know how to react, and it disrupted their plan”, said John Korir.