Boston Marathon champion, Korir, sets fearless 2025 target

Reigning Boston Marathon champion John Korir has set his sights on an audacious goal.

The youngster aims to become the second man in history to break the 2:01 marathon barrier in a record-eligible race.

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Korir, who is fresh from back-to-back victories in Boston and Chicago, believes 2025 could be the year he joins the exclusive club of marathon greats.

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“Winning Boston was good for me. It has given me a lot of confidence. My target for the rest of the year is to run a sub-2:01 marathon. I am not saying that I am going to attack the world record, but it is a mark that is also in my mind this year,” he said in an interview with The Star.

The sub-2:01 world record, a jaw-dropping 2:00:35 was set by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon has remained untouched.

Only marathon great Eliud Kipchoge came close, winning the 2022 Berlin Marathon in 2:01:09. Ethiopian legends Kenenisa Bekele (2:01:41) and Sisay Lemma (2:01:48) are also among the select few under 2:02.

Korir’s fastest time, a 2:02:44 effort in Chicago in 2024, already ranks him as the eighth fastest man in history over the marathon distance.

He followed that statement performance that followed a courageous win at the 2025 Boston Marathon, where he clocked 2:04:45 despite falling early in the race.

“I took some time to recover after Boston, but I am slowly back to training. I have begun with gym work and light 15km evening jogs. My body feels fine, and I am confident I can achieve the target I have set,” he disclosed.

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The 27-year-old is now weighing options between representing Kenya at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September or returning to defend his Chicago Marathon title in October.

“Right now, I have not decided which race to take later in the year. I was approached recently to represent the country in Tokyo. I also want to defend my Chicago title. I will have to wait and see what my elder brother Wesley and my manager advise me to do,” he concluded.