In an electrifying performance, Kenyan runner John Korir claimed victory at the 2025 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:04:45, overcoming an early stumble at the start line to surge ahead in the final miles. His win marks not only a personal triumph, but also a historic milestone—John and his brother, Wesley Korir, are now the first siblings to have both won the prestigious race.
But for the Korir family, the Boston Marathon has always represented more than just athletic achievement. Like Wesley before him, John plans to use his win as a platform to give back. He has pledged a portion of his winnings to the Transcend Talent Academy, a high school in Kenya dedicated to helping young athletes rise from poverty through sport and education.
Transcend is a project deeply rooted in family and partnership. The school was co-founded in 2022 by Wesley Korir and Winston-Salem business owners Emily and Keith Davis, who share a vision for ending generational poverty in Kenya. The Davises, owners of Fleet Feet Winston-Salem and Clemmons, joined forces with Wesley to build the school in western Kenya with the goal of giving gifted but under-resourced youth a full high school education and elite run training.
“Talent is universal,” said Keith Davis in a recent interview, “but opportunity is not. Our mission with Transcend is to change that—to give these young athletes not just a shot at the finish line, but a shot at a better life.”
Now, in 2025, the Davises are expanding that mission with the launch of Bingwa Coffee, a premium coffee brand sourced directly from Kenyan farms. Named after the Swahili word for “champion,” Bingwa Coffee is more than a business—it’s a social enterprise designed to create lasting impact in the same communities that Transcend serves. Their plan is to launch Bingwa Coffee in October 2025, in conjunction with the timing of major fall marathons. However, once John crossed the finish line of Boston Marathon as the newest champion, Emily & Keith decided to launch an exclusive Boston Blend. To ensure a fast turnaround, they needed a local roaster with capacity to roast the Kenyan beans.
A TRULY SMALL WORLD!
Emily had previously met Kenny, a coffee bean exporter, through a mutual friend. Knowing he had roasting partnerships in the U.S., she reached out to him while searching for someone who could quickly roast the Boston Blend. The two connected over FaceTime—Kenny calling from his desk in Rwanda—as they discussed her roasting needs. Kenny then introduced Emily to Nathan Henson, owner of Defined Coffee in Mooresville. It didn’t take long for Emily to realize that Defined Coffee was the ideal partner to bring the Boston Blend to life and celebrate John’s accomplishment. The Boston Blend is selling for $40 per bag to immediately raise funds for the Transcend Talent Academy.
“Bingwa is more than just coffee. It represents the incredible talent rising from rural Kenya, where so many families face daily struggles. Through hard work and opportunity, some of the brightest stars are given the chance to run, not just for their communities, but on the world stage as true champions.”
The 2025 Boston Blend is currently available online. Purchase this blend and support Transcend Talent Academy at the QR code.
The original blend of Bingwa Coffee is whole bean Kenya AA medium roast, sells for $18 per bag and will launch in October 2025. Bingwa will be sold online at www.bingwacoffee.com and locally at Fleet Feet Winston-Salem. Emily and Keith will be seeking distribution in running stores nationwide.
