Kent Ohori’s inspiring transformation from smoker to marathoner

A symbolic performance

The image spread across social media and the internet: Australian Kent Ohori crossing the finish line of the latest ASICS Gold Coast Marathon in 2:29:08, an unlit cigarette clenched firmly in his right hand. “It was my way of paying tribute to my former self,” the 35-year-old Australian explained after the race, having maintained the impressive pace of 3:32 per kilometre. The cigarette was more than a provocation: it was a tribute to his journey. “Whenever the pain became intense, I looked at it and remembered where I came from,” he said. The mental strategy paid off: his time puts him among the world’s best amateur runners, just five years after he first took up endurance sport. Like Frenchman Yoann Stuck, another “transformed” athlete whom Marathons.com interviewed a few months ago, Kent Ohori has no intention of setting limits, quite the opposite. Both men had lives far removed from the demands of sport before discovering what they could achieve.

From a pack a day to the Everestman

In 2017, Kent Ohori was living a life far removed from the one he leads today. He chain-smoked and regularly went out for heavy dinners and drinks. Paradoxically, it was a running injury that introduced him to another side of himself. “I only ran back then, but I discovered my love of cycling after an Achilles tendon injury forced me to put my running shoes away for six weeks,” Ohori said. “ During my recovery, I also started swimming, which led me to sign up for my first race.” What was supposed to be a period of rehabilitation became a revelation. “I discovered that my smoker’s body could still push beyond its limits.” In six months, he went from doing nothing to his first sprint triathlon, then moved on to Olympic-distance races. “Every new event was a victory over my demons,” he recalls.

Ohori’s notable performances since taking up endurance sport:

➜ 2020 : Qualified for the IRONMAN World Championship after his first IRONMAN (9:47)
➜ 2022 : 40-hour Everestman triathlon (see post below).
➜ 2024 : Podium finish at Ultra-Trail Australia (100 km)
➜ 2025 : 2:29:08 at the Gold Coast Marathon

A lesson in resilience

Through his running club, Rebound Club, Kent Ohori keeps hammering home the message: if he can do it, so can you. That may be a little optimistic coming from the Australian, but his story is inspiring. Running is a powerful revealer of potential, and stringing together training sessions can lead to rapid progress. “What fascinates me about Kent is his ability to turn every obstacle into a springboard,” says his coach Matt Hanson, who has been coaching him since the beginning of 2025. And Kent has no intention of stopping there. After the Gold Coast Marathon, he said: “This is only the beginning.”.

We can’t wait to see what comes next, especially with Kent still young at 35. Could he soon line up alongside Yoann Stuck, another master of resilience? It would certainly help convince us that anything is possible if the body allows it.