Suffered Early Fall, Boston Marathon Champion John Korir Gets Candid on Major Dilemma After Heroic Title

Heartbreak Hill has long been the stuff of legends. Nestled between miles 20 and 21 of the Boston Marathon, it’s the final—and cruelest—climb in Newton, a half-mile uphill stretch that has crushed the dreams of countless runners. It’s where many athletes hit the wall. But on April 21, 2025, the real heartbreak for Kenyan runner John Korir didn’t happen on the hill. It started all the way back at mile zero—in Hopkinton, at the very starting line.

In a shocking moment, Korir tripped and fell just as the race began, hitting the pavement while the rest of the elite field surged ahead. For most, that kind of stumble at the start of a marathon is more of a mental blow than a physical one. But for Korir, it became a defining moment of resilience. How so? Instead of crumbling, he made a choice. He picked himself up, adjusted his bib, and started running—not just to catch up, but to win.

By the time Korir reached Kenmore Square, not only had he erased the gap, but he had taken the lead. And two hours, four minutes, and forty-five seconds after that initial fall, he crossed the finish line—the second-fastest time in the 129-year history of the Boston Marathon. So, after the race, Chris Chavez caught up with the newly crowned champion and asked the question on everyone’s mind: How?

Korir’s answer was raw and powerful: “What was going through my mind was, should I give up, or should I wake up and go? So… And then something told me. Wake up and go, maybe to win. So I woke up and go. And first, I removed my bib and put it on my shirt. So, and then I considered racing, and then I began doing.” It was that simple. That human and that defiant.

“I got a scar on my hands but that will be my remembering for Boston.”

John Korir takes us inside his internal thoughts after falling at the start of the 2025 Boston Marathon before going on to win the race in the second-fastest time in race history — 2:04:45.

He hit the… pic.twitter.com/JJXysIuoyl

— Chris Chavez (@ChrisChavez) April 23, 2025

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