Wesley Korir, the 2012 Boston Marathon champion, has never finished out of the top five in Boston. In 2012, he ran a strategic race to win the 116th Boston Marathon despite temperatures soaring to 85 degrees. He let the front-runners surge along the way as he patiently ran within his abilities, staying hydrated and positive. Korir began singing to maintain focus and soon began moving up from sixth place at mile 20, to second at mile 24, to undisputed champion at the finish. “Winning the Boston Marathon was the biggest accomplishment of my life and the win placed me in a distinguished group of champions who are legendary,” says Korir. “The entire world recognizes and respects the Boston Marathon, and I am proudly a Boston Marathon champion forever.” In 2008 Korir made his marathon debut in the open division at the Chicago Marathon and recorded the fourth-fastest time overall. He then began three years of competing in the Los Angeles–Chicago double with impressive results. Korir won Los Angeles twice and in 2011 finished runner-up to Moses Mosop in Chicago. Last year in Boston he placed fourth. Because of his consistent championship style running, Korir was selected to the highly competitive Kenyan Marathon team, but in Rio, Korir had to drop from the race.

Korir is a Member of Parliament for the Cherangany Constituency in Kenya, and is currently working with dairy farmers to improve their combined yield. Korir is married to elite Canadian runner Tarah McKay and the couple has a daughter and a son. Korir and McKay founded the Kenyan Kids’ Foundation, which supports children, farmers, and healthcare providers near Korir’s home village of Kitale. The couple built a hospital in honor of Korir’s brother Nicholas, who died from a black-mamba snakebite. After attending St. Joseph’s secondary school in Kenya, Korir was awarded a scholarship to attend Murray State University in Kentucky. He then transferred to the University of Louisville. There he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and was All-American in the 5,000m. When not training or working with his Foundation projects, Korir enjoys hiking and watching soccer.

“There’s only one Monday like it. Patriots’ Day, Boston #BeBoston.”