Army Staff Sgt. Leonard Korir, a member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, was the fourth American to cross the finish line at the 2022 New York City Marathon Nov. 6 with a time of 2:17:29.
Over 50,000 runners made their way through the New York City Marathon course on November 6, Korir being one of them, leading the majority of the pack and finishing in 13th place, 4th for Americans with a time of 2:17:29.
“Korir’s preparation for the New York City Marathon has been months in the making,” said Staff Sgt. Samuel Kosgei, Track and Field Assistant Coach for WCAP. “He’s been running over 110 miles per week, so there was no doubt in my mind that he’s ready to compete against the best in the world.”
Korir is no stranger to distance running. A member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program’s Track & Field team, Korir often wins 10,000m events across the country, including placing first in the 2022 Bolder Boulder 10K in Boulder, Colorado, out of tens of thousands of participants.
Unusually hot weather in New York proved to be a factor during the race. Typically, the temperature in New York in November is around 48 degrees, however for this year’s race, temperatures were in the mid-60’s, causing top athletes, such as the race leader, Daniel do Nascimento, to collapse miles before the finish line due to dehydration, and slowing the pace of the majority of runners.
Nonetheless, Korir was able to keep an average pace of just five minutes and fifteen seconds per mile, or an impressive eleven miles per hour throughout the entire race.
“With Korir’s finish, his time qualifies him to compete at the 2024 Olympic Trials in Orlando, Florida,” said Kosgei.
Korir will continue his training as he prepares for the rest of the season and ultimately the 2024 Olympic Trials.
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