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BOSTON — Meb Keflezighi had outrun an elite field of men in the Boston Marathon on Monday, and as he began passing some of the top women in the race, something unusual happened. Many of the women, exhausted themselves and like Keflezighi simply trying to finish the race, cheered him on.
Keflezighi had run Boston twice before, finishing as high as third in 2006. Soon to be 39, and 15 years older than the defending champion, Lelisa Desisa, Keflezighi is at an age when most elite marathoners lower their expectations. His only major marathon victory had been in New York, in 2009. He had a silver medal from the Athens Olympics.
He missed the 2013 Boston Marathon because of an injury, but arrived here determined to end a three-decade drought of American male champions and to fulfill a lifelong dream.
“As an athlete, you have dreams,†he said. “Today was the day when dreams and reality met. My career is fulfilled.â€
In a race that had taken on greater meaning because of the bombings at this event a year ago, Keflezighi led for most of the 26.2 miles and became the first American man to win the Boston Marathon in 31 years. He did it in a personal best time of 2 hours 8 minutes 37 seconds, well off the course record by Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya, who ran the fastest marathon ever, a 2:03:02 here in 2011.
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Keflezighi had run Boston twice before, finishing as high as third in 2006. Soon to be 39, and 15 years older than the defending champion, Lelisa Desisa, Keflezighi is at an age when most elite marathoners lower their expectations. His only major marathon victory had been in New York, in 2009. He had a silver medal from the Athens Olympics.
He missed the 2013 Boston Marathon because of an injury, but arrived here determined to end a three-decade drought of American male champions and to fulfill a lifelong dream.
“As an athlete, you have dreams,†he said. “Today was the day when dreams and reality met. My career is fulfilled.â€
In a race that had taken on greater meaning because of the bombings at this event a year ago, Keflezighi led for most of the 26.2 miles and became the first American man to win the Boston Marathon in 31 years. He did it in a personal best time of 2 hours 8 minutes 37 seconds, well off the course record by Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya, who ran the fastest marathon ever, a 2:03:02 here in 2011.
Continue reading the main story
Cool.
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