John Korir’s advice that propelled Brian Kogo to Nairobi City Marathon victory

Brian Kogo has revealed how training alongside Boston Marathon champion John Korir helped shape his path to victory after he stormed to the men's half-marathon title at the Nairobi City Marathon on Sunday, 7 June.

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Kogo produced a commanding performance to win the 21km race in 1:00:55, leading a highly competitive field in the Kenyan capital. Jonah Kiprop Lagat finished second in 1:01:10, while Lampard Mutuku completed the podium places in 1:01:32.

The victory marked a major milestone for Kogo, who said years of training at Transcend Talent Academy alongside one of the world's best marathoners had finally begun to pay dividends.

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"This was my fourth time competing in the half-marathon, and I am happy with how everything turned out," Kogo said after the race.

The rising star trains under the same programme as Korir, the reigning Boston Marathon champion and one of the most accomplished distance runners in the world.

Korir won the 2024 Chicago Marathon in 2:02:44 to become the sixth-fastest marathon runner in history before claiming back-to-back Boston Marathon titles in 2025 and 2026, the latter in a course record time of 2:01:52.

For Kogo, however, Korir's influence extends beyond his achievements on the global stage.

"I train at Transcend alongside John Korir. Training with him has been a huge motivation because I try to follow his running style and work ethic so that I can achieve similar success," Kogo explained.

While the pair did not speak before Sunday's race, Korir's words during training sessions remained fresh in Kogo's mind.

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"We did not speak before the race, but during training, he always encouraged me to run like him and to endure the pain. I can finally see the fruits of that hard work paying off," he said.

Observers could see similarities between the two athletes, particularly in Kogo's strong finishing kick that mirrored the trademark style that has helped Korir win some of the world's biggest marathons.

The victory is another success story for Transcend Talent Academy, a programme dedicated to educating and developing young athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The academy has received significant support from both John Korir and his brother Wesley Korir, the 2012 Boston Marathon champion.

Wesley famously used part of his Boston Marathon earnings to help build a hospital in Kenya, while John pledged a portion of his winnings from last year's Boston Marathon triumph to support the academy's mission of providing education opportunities to talented runners who might otherwise be unable to afford schooling.

Kogo believes his latest triumph is proof that the academy's model is working.

"Everything is working out well, and I am proud of this achievement," he said.