John Korir came into the 2025 Boston Marathon with everything a champion needs. Blazing speed, a major marathon title under his belt, and a family legacy written into the very streets of Boston. The reigning Chicago Marathon winner had been eyeing this moment for months, guided by insider advice from his older brother Wesley Korir, the 2012 Boston champ. With one more win, they would’ve made history as the first siblings to ever conquer Boston. But what was supposed to be a career-defining triumph nearly unraveled in an instant.

As the pack surged forward on the historic course, Korir’s hopes took a shocking turn. A mid-race fall left him staggering, the momentum that made him a favorite all but gone. Just months ago, he stunned the world in Chicago with a personal best of 2:02:44. And now—against all odds—he’s stunned it again clocking the win at 2:04:45. With grit that defied pain and pressure, Korir surged back into the lead and crossed the finish line first, etching his name in Boston history. What began as a nightmare ended in one of the most remarkable comebacks the marathon has ever seen.

“Defending champ John Korir with an early start line fall… I hope he’s ok,” read one concerned tweet on X, summing up the collective gasp from fans who had been eagerly watching the elite pack charge off the line in Boston. It wasn’t just any fall. It was the kind that stops time for a second, especially when it happens to a man carrying both personal legacy and national pride on his back. In that one moment, everything changed.

John Korir wasn’t just running for himself. He was chasing history, trying to become the second half of a story his family began 13 years ago when his brother Wesley Korir won the Boston Marathon in sweltering heat. With two prior top-10 finishes in Boston, fourth and ninth. John believed this year was different. “He knows the course well. He knows where to make a move and also to relax the legs,” John had said of Wesley’s guidance.

But as the younger Korir prepared for Boston, he wasn’t just aiming to win. He was preparing to elevate Kenyan distance running and honor a cause rooted in his family’s values. “So that’s been a good help to me in training. I think it’s good.” His 2:02:44 performance in Chicago made him the second-fastest man in Boston’s field, a stat that only fueled the expectation that this would be his time.

But Boston is a race that favors patience, tactics, and grit. Something Wesley mastered when he waited out the early surge at Heartbreak Hill in 2012 before claiming victory. John, 28, was still a student when his brother pulled off that legendary win. Now, 14 years later, he wasn’t just following in Wesley’s footsteps. He was also following his purpose. John had pledged his Boston winnings to the Transcend Talent Academy, the same initiative Wesley championed to provide education for young runners without means.

A national legacy, John Korir’s fall doesn’t dim the fire

Though John Korir’s 2025 Boston Marathon ended in heartbreak, the mission he carries is far bigger than a finish line. With a dream of building on his family’s legacy, John has been more than just an elite athlete. He’s become the torchbearer of a purpose that began with his older brother, Wesley. “As I am getting old, he’s coming to take over,” Wesley said.

It brings Wesley immense joy to see his younger brother embrace and continue a cause that has always been close to his heart.  John’s pledge to dedicate his winnings in Boston to the Transcend Talent Academy shows that even in the face of setbacks, he’s running for more than glory. He’s running for others. Wesley Korir, who famously won Boston in 2012, has long been mentoring his younger brother.

Not just to sharpen his racing tactics, but to instill values that outlast medals. “It’s always helpful to have somebody who has gone through it before you, so you don’t have to make the mistakes that I’ve made,” he reflected. “For me, my goal is always to look at the mistakes during my running career and help him to prevent that so he can be ahead, ahead in life.”

That wisdom shaped John’s training and vision for the sport, proving that experience and heart are just as essential as speed. John wasn’t alone in putting Kenya back in the spotlight. With Ruth Chepngetich flying solo to victory in Chicago, clocking a stunning 1:04:16 at the halfway mark, she showed the world that Kenya’s grip on long-distance running is as dominant as ever.

Her blazing run reaffirmed the country’s strength and deep talent pool. Reflecting on his purpose, John recently had also shared in an Instagram post, “Work hard or go home. They said if you don’t enjoy what you are doing, look for something else to do. For me, I am enjoying what I am doing, and I am here to stay.” It’s that passion. Unshaken by a fall that defines the Korir legacy. Pride in running not just for self, but for something far greater and doing it with the third-fastest time in Boston Marathon history, dominating the event despite a brutal crash at the start.