John Korir made his move when it mattered most on Marathon Monday, pulling away in the late miles to win the 2025 Boston Marathon in 2:04:45.
The men’s race stayed pretty bunched up deep into the hills of Newton, with more than 10 runners still in the mix after halfway. But just after 20 miles, Korir threw in a big surge, and nobody could quite cover it.
Conner Mantz tried to hang on, but by the time Korir hit 24 miles, he had nearly a minute’s lead and never looked back.
Top Three Finishers
- 🥇 John Korir — 2:04:45
- 🥈 Alphonce Simbu — 2:05:04
- 🥉 Cybrian Kotut — 2:05:04
It’s a huge win for Korir, who came into Boston riding a ton of momentum after winning Chicago last fall. Today’s performance showed he’s not just a flat-course guy — he handled Boston’s hills and tricky pacing perfectly.
How the Race Played Out
Early on, things stayed controlled.
The lead group let Sisay Lemma do some of the pacing, but it was clear no one wanted to go too crazy before the Newton Hills. Once they hit the hills, the pack started thinning out — and Korir was ready.
When he made his move, it wasn’t flashy. Just a steady, strong push that slowly broke the group apart. By the time the chasers realized how much space he had, it was too late.
Conner Mantz, meanwhile, put up a gutsy effort trying to rally the chasers but couldn’t close the gap. Still, a strong day for the American, finishing fourth with a time of 2:05:08, who keeps showing he belongs at the very top level.
Boston always rewards smart, patient racing — and today, Korir showed exactly how it’s done. With near-perfect weather and deep fields, the 2025 Boston Marathon was set up for fireworks. Korir delivered them when it counted.
2025 Boston Marathon Elite Men Top Ten
- John Korir – 2:04:45
- Alphonce Simbu – 2:05:04
- Cybrian Kotut – 20:05:04
- Conner Mantz – 2:05:08
- Muktar Edris – 2:05:59
- Rory Linkletter – 2:07:02
- Clayton Young – 2:07:04
- Tebello Ramakongoana – 2:07:19
- Daniel Mateiko – 2:07:52
- Ryan Ford – 2:08:00
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