 Korir at the 2016 Olympics | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | (1986-12-10)December 10, 1986 (age 38)[1] Iten,Kenya[2] |
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] |
| Weight | 59 kg (130 lb)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track |
| Event | 1500 m –marathon |
| College team | Iona College[2] |
| Club | U.S. Army WCAP |
| Turned pro | 2013 |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest(s) | 5000 m: 13:15.45 (2013) 10,000 m: 27:20.18 (2017) HM: 59:52 (2017)[3] |
Leonard Essau Korir (born December 10, 1986) is an Americanlong-distance runner who competes over distances from5000 meters to themarathon. He is a two-timeNCAA champion, winning an indoor 5000 m title and outdoor10,000 meters title in 2011 for theIona Gaels. He gained United States citizenship and began competing for his adoptive nation in 2016.
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Korir attendedTambach Teachers Training College, and it was only there, at the age of twenty, that his skill for running was identified. Strong performances by theIten-based athlete led him to a meeting with Irish coachColm O'Connell.[4]
O'Connell advised him to try for anathletic scholarship at an American university and supported Korir's running efforts. He opted to study political science atIona College, an institution he recognised as a fellow Kenyan,Richard Kiplagat, had attended there.[4]
Despite his running pedigree, Korir did not excel athletically in his first year for theIona Gaels, finishing fifth at theMetro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) cross country. However, he did reach the10,000 meters podium in third at the 2010 MAAC Outdoor Track Championships.
His improvement was marked in his second year there: he won the MAAC Cross Country title, then took fourth at theNCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship after winning the regional title. In the 2011 indoor season, he won themile run anddistance medley relay MAAC titles for Iona and set a5000 meters school record of 13:26.01 minutes to win at theNCAA Men's Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships. He won his second collegiate title at theNCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships that year, topping the field over 10,000 m as well as coming third in the 5000 m.[5] He was runner-up at the 2011 NCAA Cross Country Championships behind another Kenyan,Lawi Lalang.[6] In his final year, he was a finalist at the 2012 NCAA Indoor Championships but didn't make the top three.[7]
After completing his studies at Iona, he focused more onroad running. He was runner-up at theHealthy Kidney 10K in 2012 and made hishalf marathon debut with 61:19 minutes for fourth at the 2013New York City Half Marathon. He won theBix 7 Road Race that same year, but was down the order at theDelhi Half Marathon in ninth. He regularly ran in lower-level American road races, with highlights including third at the 2014Boston Half Marathon.[8]
In 2015, a win at the New York Half Marathon in 61:06 minutes established him among the best on the American circuit, as he edged training partnerStephen Sambu by one second.[9] He was third at theBAA 10K and won the Bix 7 Road Race for the second time. He moved back to the track in the 2016 season, achieving a win at theStanford Invitational with a time of 27:58.65 minutes.[7] In September 2015, Korir joined the U.S. Army as a driver.[2]
He gainedeligibility to represent the United States in May 2016.[10] In his debut at the national level, he placed in the top three at the2016 United States Olympic Trials behindGalen Rupp andShadrack Kipchirchir (another former Kenyan). This achievement qualified him to place on theAmerican Olympic team for the2016 Summer Olympics.[11] At the2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, he finished third, potentially earning him a spot to represent the United States at the2024 Paris Olympics.[12] He was confirmed for a spot on June 6, when the third spot was unlocked and given to Korir.[13]
All information from World Athletics.[14]
