John Korir Obliterates Strong Field To Return Boston Marathon Title To Kenya

John Korir won the 2025 Boston Marathon after destroying the field. Photo: World Athletics

John Korir Obliterates Strong Field To Return Boston Marathon Title To Kenya

Joel Omotto 18:51 - 21.04.2025

Kenya's John Korir ran a solo race to claim the 2025 Boston Marathon title and emulate his brother Wesley Korir who won the race in 2012.

John Korir emulated his brother by becoming a Boston Marathon champion when he destroyed a strong field to win the 2025 edition of the race in the third fastest finish in the race’s history.

The Kenyan took off after the 30km and never looked back, leaving his rivals by a big gap, before he went on to win the race in a time of 2:04:45 and join his brother Wesley Korir, who won the race in 2012.

Korir had no equals when he took off and remained unchallenged for the second part of the race as he returned the Boston Marathon title to Kenya following Ethiopian Sisay Lemma’s victory in 2024.

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It was an East African affair as Tanzania's Alphonce Simbu finished second in 2:05:04 while CyBrian Kotut of Kenya completed the podium also in 2:05:04.

Having won the Chicago Marathon in 2024, Korir was among the top runners who lined up in the streets of Boston and he lived up to the promise, especially when defending champion Lemma fizzed out as he found the searing pace too much for him.

Lemma had been in the front in the early exchanges before former champion Evans Chebet briefly took the lead as Korir watched on just behind.

However, the 28-year-old smelt blood just past the 30km mark and took off. He would open up a big lead and by the 39km mark, he was virtually running alone with his next challenger over 55 seconds behind.

By the time he was approaching his final water station just past the 40km mark, none of his rivals were in sight and this gave him more energy to push up, going on to cross the finish line in the third fastest time at Boston.

His win saw him emulate his brother Wesley, who won in Boston in 2012, and who had been his source of inspiration ahead of the race. Korir had run in Boston twice before when he managed fourth and ninth places.