The much-anticipated US Olympic Marathon Trials took place in Orlando, Florida, United States on 3 February. During the event, the two-time NCAA champion Leonard Korir won third place as he finished the Marathon race in 2:09:57. Korir, who might remain unsure of his exact position in the upcoming Summer Games, might have found an answer in his recent performance.

The qualification standard was set for men at 2:18:00. US long-distance runner Conner Mantz grabbed the public attention by winning the men’s race in 2:09:05. Clayton Young also got the second spot at the Marathon Trials as he finished his run in 2:09:06. With Korir winning the third spot, he is making headlines for his recent revelation about the real motivation behind his final stretch to get a standard podium finish.

Leonard Korir reveals the true inspiration

Leonard Korir earned the fourth spot in the US trial for the 2021 Tokyo Games. And now he disclosed the true inspiration behind his last-ditch effort to secure an epic podium place. Flo Track took to its X handle to share the short clip of the Olympian Track and Field Leonard Korir. The caption reads “At the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, Leonard Korir finished fourth by seven seconds. In 2024, Korir wanted to do better, and he went from fifth to third over the final two miles in an epic finish for that third spot on the podium #MarathonTrials24.”

After the 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials, Leonard Korir talked about his real motivation and said “So, last time I finished 4th. The manager told me, don’t worry about it, finish 4th, go train for it, and you’ll make the next one. Then, I told myself, I need to give everything, that’s what I like, at least finish number 3. And so I think, I want to say, thank you”, he further added. He also disclosed his family’s expectations of him. Apart from that, he expressed his gratitude and said “This is, this feels really sad for everybody in the family. And so, I think, and I say, thank you very much.”

Korir secured third place at the 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials as he finished the Marathon race in 2:09:57. The complexity of the selection process for the Olympics however leaves him unsure about his status.

The third spot awaits confirmation

The reason behind Korir’s second thoughts lies in the complicated selection process. The Olympic Marathon qualifying system requires athletes to meet specific criteria. They need to either run 2:08:10 or faster, get placed in the top five in a platinum-level marathon or have a high World Athletics rating. The priority goes to time qualifiers, and up to three runners from each country are allowed.

Read More: Olympic Marathon Trials: Live Updates, Results, And More

As of right now, the two slots are reserved for the US in the  2024 Paris Olympic marathon. US long-distance runners Conner Mantz and Clayton Young secured their spots by running under 2:08:10 in Chicago in October. However, Korir is expected to go to Paris to join them. The plausible performance at the US Trials would surely improve his world ranking. But to be sure of that, Korir will have to wait until May 5.

Korir did not meet the 2:08:10 Olympic standard. Hence he intends to qualify via world ranking by May 5. Or the alternate route is to secure U.S. men’s Top 5 finish in upcoming platinum-level marathons for third spot. With the Paris Olympics just a few months away, it has indeed increased the anticipation for the qualification.

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