John Korir Details How Chicago Marathon Disappointment Fueled Him to Ksh11 Million in Valencia

Newly-crowned Valencia Marathon champion John Korir has explained how his failure at the Chicago Marathon drove him to win in Spain.

Korir clocked a personal best 2:02:24 to win the Valencia Marathon, earning him Ksh11.3 million, but he came in the race on the back of a painful experience in Chicago in October, when he failed to finish the race that was won by Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo.

The 29-year-old had won the Boston Marathon in April and headed to Chicago full of confidence but found the going tough. He, however, made amends in Valencia on Sunday as he dominated the race, winning it in almost two minutes as the second-placed runner, Germany’s Amanal Petros, timed 2:04:03.

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“I ran in Chicago and I didn’t do well so I decided to go to Valencia and see how it would end. As you can see, it has ended well…I thank God, my family…I thank my brother Wesley, my coach as well as my management team,” said Korir, who emulated his brother Wesley Korir by winning the Boston Marathon.

Korir says the win in Valencia proves he is back to his best, sending a firm message to those who had written him off.

“I feel so good…I know some people may be thought that the Korir family name is going down but I had to come here and prove to them that Korir is still there,” said Korir.

“I think I have closed out my year with a personal best and I say ‘thank you to God’ and all those people who have been behind it,” the 2022 Los Angeles Marathon champion said.

Korir had won the Chicago Marathon in 2024 but his attempt to defend his title was not fruitful. He will, however, be motivated by the win in Valencia as he targets further glory in 2026.