Meb Keflezighi: Meb Keflezighi, first American man won NYC Marathon

Meb Keflezighi

Meb Keflezighi has become the first American man to win the New York City Marathon since 1982. Meb Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, earned his first major marathon title Sunday.


Meb Keflezighi was second in New York in 2004 and third in 2005. Meb Keflezighi, wearing “USA on his chest, won in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 15 seconds.

Four-time Boston Marathon champ Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya was second. Morocco’s Jaouad Gharib finished third and American Ryan Hall was fourth. American Alberto Salazar won three straight NYC Marathons from 1980-82.

Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia was the women’s winner, with 41-year-old Russian Ludmila Petrova the runner-up for the second straight year.

Meb Keflezighi Wiki

Mebrahtom or Meb Keflezighi was born May 5, 1975 in Asmara, Eritrea. Meb Keflezighi is an American athlete specializing in long distance running, especially marathons. Meb Keflezighi and his family were refugees from Eritrea via Italy to United States. Meb Keflezighi became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1998, the same year in which he graduated from UCLA. While at UCLA Meb Keflezighi received numerous all American awards and other accolades.

In the 2004 Summer Olympics, Meb Keflezighi finished second in the men’s marathon, winning a silver medal in a personal season’s best time of 2 hours, 11 minutes and 29 seconds. Meb Keflezighi finished 42 seconds ahead of Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima, who was leading the marathon until he was pushed off the course by protester Cornelius Horan. This was the first medal won by an American man in the Olympic marathon since Frank Shorter won the gold in the 1972 Olympics and took the silver medal in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

Meb Keflezighi ’s fastest times for some standard distances are 3:42.29 for 1,500 meters, set in 1998; 13:11.77 for 5,000 meters, set in 2000; 27:13.98 for 10,000 meters, set in 2001 (a still-standing American record); and 2:09:15 for the marathon, set in 2009 at the New York City Marathon.

Meb Keflezighi lives and trains in Mammoth Lakes, California, and is a member of the Mammoth Track Club.Meb Keflezighi attended San Diego High School where he won numerous state championships from 1991 to 1994. Meb Keflezighi won in both the 1600 and the 3200 meter races.

Meb Keflezighi won the 2009 New York City Marathon, setting a personal best of 2:09:15. Meb Keflezighi was the first American citizen to win the marathon since 1982

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