BROTHERHOOD ON BOYLSTON: JOHN KORIR LOOKS TO EMULATE WESLEY AS BOSTON MARATHON CHAMPION
By Toni Reavis
There have been many historic firsts in the long history of the Boston Marathon. This coming Monday, 21 April, 2025, 28-year-old John Korir of Kitale, Kenya, will attempt to become the first brother of a Boston champion to match his sibling on the Boylston Street winner‘s platform. Older brother Wesley won Boston in the notoriously hot year of 2012.
History To Write
The Korir brothers have already written their first chapter of running history when John won the BofA Chicago Marathon last fall in 2:02:44. That gave each brother one World Marathon Major on their ledger. And both have won twice the Los Angeles Marathon, too, Wesley in 2009 & 2010, John in 2021 & 2022. Now John looks to join Wesley as a Boston champion.
STRONG FIELD
But it won’t be easy as John will have, among others, two former Boston champions to contend with, defender Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia and 2022-2023 champ, Evans Chebet of Kenya.
All three competed last year, so there won’t be any surprises like we saw in 2024 when Lemma struck out early, opened a commanding lead—posting the fastest first half in Boston history, 60:19—and then hung on to win.
BOSTON TACTICS
So accustomed are today’s runners to pacesetters, that a tactic like hard early front running can catch competitors off guard. Remember Meb Keflezighi in 2014? It worked again ten years later.
Despite Lemma slowing to a near 66-minute second half, his cushion was substantial enough for a relatively easy win in 2:06:17. Chebet finished third, Korir fourth.
1. Sisay Lemma: 2:06:17 (Ethiopia)
2. Mohamed Esa: 2:06:58 (Ethiopia)
3. Evans Chebet: 2:07:22 (Kenya)
4. John Korir: 2:07:40 (Kenya)
Odds are that Lemma won’t employ the same strategy this Patriots’ Day. And if he does, the others won’t be caught on their back foot.
FAITH IN & FROM COACH MANN
I spoke with John Korir‘s coach, Ron Mann, two days ago after he finished nine holes of golf at his home course in Louisville, Kentucky. We discussed both John and brother Wesley, who Ron also coached at the University of Louisville and then throughout his professional running career.
I pointed out to Coach Mann that Boston 2025 will be the 12th marathon of John’s career. He began with two late race falters in his first three marathon attempts, Ottawa 2018 and Los Angeles in 2019. On both occasions, he moved hard at 20 miles and opened what looked to be winning margins.
EARLY HARD LESSONS
But in Ottawa, course record holder Yemane Tsegay of Ethiopia caught him at 40k, and won by 22 seconds. In Los Angeles, it was even more cruel, as John faded significantly on Ocean Avenue in sight of the finish line in Santa Monica. With less than 30 seconds of running left, Elisha Barno flew by the exhausted Korir to snatch the win by 7 seconds.
“Early in his career, when he was running well, but not great, he was only running about 70 miles a week,” explained Coach Mann. “He didn’t have a bottom under him. Gradually, over a period of four years, we are now at the point where he is running big mileage. He first did it before Chicago last fall and now even a little bit more for Boston. I don’t know how well the others are prepared, but John is all ready to go.”
This will be John‘s third attempt at Boston. In 2023 he finished ninth in 2:10:04. Last year he was fourth in 2:07:40.
“So he knows the course,” confirmed Coach Mann. “And if we go back to Geoffrey Mutai’s record in 2011 (2:03:02), everything happens at Heartbreak Hill. Two years ago, John charged up Heartbreak Hill with Eliud Kipchoge. They ended up eighth and ninth. So you gotta ask if that’s the wise thing to do.”
BOSTON SPECIFIC PREP
John has prepared on a variety of terrains back home for Boston’s tricky route.
“Like golf, you try to look at the course you’re playing,” explained Mann, who visited John in Kenya in January. “If the last hole is over water, then you practice that. So the last 4 miles in Boston are downgrade with big crowds. So you have to be ready for that.
“I told him, ‘you have as much speed as anyone. You’ve run a 58:50 for the half-marathon. So if you feel like you wanna go, go. But if you feel like you wanna wait, then wait.”
There is a 14-year gap between Wesley and John. And their attributes as runners are different as well.
2012 Boston 2012 Boston Marathon champion Wesley Korir
“John has more speed,” said their coach. “But Wesley had more endurance. He was able to withstand more early on in his career. But we needed to put speed on to his endurance. But when he decided to campaign for and won his seat for parliament in 2013 (as he simultaneously prepared to defend his Boston title), we never got a chance to do that. So we never saw the end of his career where he could’ve maximized his speed. John already has the speed. We just needed to put endurance beneath it.”
LEARNING HOW TO WIN
Another of Korir’s opponents will be American Olympian, Connor Mantz. Like John, Connor is 28-years-old, and just entering his prime. While still dangerous, Sisay Lemma (34) and Evans Chebet (35) are on the back nine of their careers.
Though Connor Mantz has a half marathon PR close to Korir’s—59:15 to 58:50—he has yet to finish on the podium of a major marathon, much less tasted victory.
“John has learned how to win,” said Coach Mann. “That’s why the wins in the Boilermaker 15k (Utica, N.Y.), Falmouth Road Race, and Chicago Marathon in 2024 were so important. Now he is expecting to win.
“He already has two marathon victories in Los Angeles and one in Chicago. He also has a world class personal best (2:02:44). Now it’s consistency over a long period of time. Boston is one step along that route. Will he win this year? I don’t know. But he will win Boston in his career. I tell him, you’re as prepared as you can be, and I’ve never trained an athlete to your level before. So, it’s yours to take now.”
CONSTRUCTING YOUR FITNESS
Runners know that reaching peak form is a slow building process. People refer to building your aerobic house. I liken it to constructing a house of cards. You can build a very strong house, but you must build it assiduously, and gradually, or the whole thing will come tumbling down.
“Between Boston last spring and Chicago last fall, John’s stride tempo went up by five per minute,” explained Coach Mann. “And his average heart rate went from 184bpm in Boston to 173 in Chicago. That tells me he’s even fitter that he was.”
HOME IN THE CHERANGANY HILLS
John lives and trains in the Cherangany Hills about 40 minutes northwest of Eldoret, Kenya in the famed Central Highlands. It’s 15 minutes from Kitale, where the Transcend Academy is located.
Transcend Academy is a non-profit school sponsored by the Kenyan Kids Foundation USA that provides full scholarships to talented students from needy backgrounds. Its mission is to leverage running to develop holistic individuals for the progress of Kenya. It’s an offshoot of Wesley Korir’s political sensibilities.
The school was founded by Wesley and his wife, Tarah, who met while both were students at the University of Louisville. John also contributes financially to Transcend.
While John lives and trains in Kitale, his wife and three girls moved to Eldoret because that’s where his kids go to school. But John built a second home in Kitale with his Chicago winnings, so his family can come stay with him on weekends. John and Wesley’s mom and dad live about 600m from the school, too.
“We have a very close-knit, well-oiled family around him,” said Coach Mann, “to make sure that he gets it right.”
The field for Monday’s marathon is very strong and experienced. The weather forecast suggests benign conditions, so it will be the athletes, alone, who decide the outcome.
IN THE HANDS OF GOD
“I tell John, ‘the gift is your responsibility to use," said Coach Mann. "So use it well and give the glory to God’. He did that in Chicago. He crossed himself after he crossed the line.”
Maybe another cross in Hopkinton might not be a bad idea come Monday morning. Brother Wesley will be waiting with Coach Mann at the finish line on Boylston Street, praying like mad, one would assume.
Believing the Boston!
posted Friday April 18th
by Toni Reavis