Reigning Boston Marathon champion John Korir has set his sights on a bold assault on the men’s marathon world record when he lines up for the Chicago Marathon on October 12.
The late Kelvin Kiptum holds the current world record over the 42km distance with a time of 2:00:35 set at the same Chicago course in 2023. Kiptum's mark made him only the first man in history to dip under the 2:01 mark in the Marathon.
In an exclusive interview with The Star, Korir confirmed he is not only eyeing a title defence but is also on a mission to smash his personal best. "My next race will be the Chicago Marathon in October, where I am hoping to defend my title."
"The target my coach and I have set for ourselves in Chicago is to lower my personal best and clock 2:00:30," Korir said. The Chicago Marathon course is well-known for being suitable for record-breaking runs.
It's a relatively flat and fast course, combined with a large and competitive field, which has contributed to numerous world and national records being set there. The course has been described as a "historical world record course" by the International Olympic Committee.
Korir's current best is 2:02:44, set during his triumph in Chicago during last year's edition. In that race, he led Ethiopia's Mohamed Esa, who clocked 2:04:39 for second place, with compatriot Amos Kipruto rounding off the podium in 2:04:50.
Korir believes he’s in the form of his life to attain the audacious mark with his coach, along with his elder brother and former Boston champion Wesley Korir, sharing in his confidence. "My body is in good shape, I am injury-free, and I feel great."
"My elder brother and coach are all motivating me and telling me I can do it and to go for it," he said. Korir noted that he will seek to draw inspiration from his flying start to the 2025 season. "For me, my performance since the start of the year will motivate me a lot heading into Chicago."
The 28-year-old kicked off his 2025 campaign with an emphatic victory at the Boston Marathon, cruising to a 2:04:45 finish in April. The win made Korir and his brother Wesley the first ever siblings to win Boston titles, with Wesley having won in 2012, clocking 2:12:40.
In April's race, Korir led Tanzania's Alphonce Simbu, who clocked 2:05:04 for second place, with compatriot Cybrian Kotut completing the podium in 2:05:04. After his Boston heroics, Korir lined up for the Boilermaker 15km road race on July 13, claiming victory in 42:44 well ahead of compatriot Hillary Kipkoech (43:08) and Abbabiya Simbassa (43:28).
Despite his confidence, Korir knows the competition in Chicago will be fierce. "All eyes will be on me because I am the defending champion. I will have a target on my back with everyone trying to dethrone me," he noted.
To stay sharp, Korir is dialled into a balanced training programme focused on both speed and endurance. "In training, I am focusing on my speed and doing hill work for endurance. I don't intend to switch my training regimen before Chicago," he added.
