Who is John Korir? All about Kenyan who ran second-fastest time in Chicago Marathon history, only behind late Kelvin Kiptum

John Korir is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in marathon, half-marathon, and road race events. The 27-year-old recently captured his first World Marathon Majors (WMM) title by winning the 2024 Chicago Marathon in a personal best time of 2:02:43.

Notably, this time by Korir is also the second-fastest time ever run in Chicago Marathon history, only behind the late runner Kelvin Kiptum, who shattered the men's world record with a phenomenal 2:00:35 last year.

Following Korir's sensational victory, he also became the sixth-fastest male marathon runner in history. Korir placed ahead of Mohamed Esa (2:04:39) and pre-event favorite Amos Kipruto (2:04:50), to take home a cash prize of $100,000.

With this, let’s dive into knowing about the athlete’s family, coach notable achievements, and more.

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John Korir’s family and hometown

Korir was born on December 2, 1996, in Kitale, Kenya. He is the younger brother of Wesley Korir, another prominent Kenyan long distance runner. Wesley is known for winning the Boston Marathon in 2012. Notably, Wesley also previously served as John's agent. John began his marathon career in 2018 in Ottawa, and has gone strength to strenth over the years.

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Who is John Korir’s coach?

John is currently coached by Ron Mann, who previously served as the head coach of University of Louisville. Mann was also a member of Team USA’s coaching staff for the men's middle-distance event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

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John Korir’s other top accomplishments

John Korir of Kenya speaks with the media during the Boston Marathon. (Photo via Getty Images)

Before his top finish in this edition, John Korir’s previous best placement at the Chicago Marathon came in 2022, where he clocked a time of 2:05:01 to secure the third place, behind Benson Kipruto (2:04:24) and Seifu Tura Abdiwak (2:04:49). He also competed in the 2023 edition where he finished fourth with a time of 2:05:09.

This year, Korir also featured at the Boston Marathon, another one of the World Marathon Majors, where he narrowly missed out on a top-three finish, recording a time of 2:07:40. He was edged out by compatriot Evans Chebet, who came in third with a time of 2:07:22.

Some other notable accomplishments of Korir include winning the Los Angeles Marathon twice in 2021 and 2022, and the Boilermaker Road Race (15 kms) in 2024.