An American named Meb Keflezighi, yeah that's right...Meb Keflezihi won the Boston Marathon yesterday...The first American to win it in a long while I'm told...So glad that that was the main news coming out of Beantown yesterday!..
One year after a bombing there killed three people and left more than 260 injured, Meb Keflezighi added Boston to a resume that includes the New York City Marathon title in 2009 and a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics.
Running just two weeks before his 39th birthday, he had the names of the 2013 bombing victims on his bib.
The names included the three people killed in last year's marathon and the name of a police officer from MIT who was allegedly killed by the bombing suspect days later.
Meb Keflezighi (got to get used to saying and writing his name) said he hoped to have his picture taken with the victims' families after his win Monday, but they weren't immediately available.
The victims were 8-year-old Martin Richard, 29-year-old Krystle Campbell and 23-year-old Lu Lingzi. MIT Officer Sean Collier was shot three days after the marathon in a wild gunbattle with the two suspects.
"At the end, I just kept thinking, 'Boston Strong. Boston Strong,'" he said. "I was thinking give everything you have. If you get beat, that's it."
Meb Keflezighi completed the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to the finish on Boylston Street in Boston's Back Bay on Monday in a personal-best 2 hours, 8 minutes, 37 seconds. He held off Kenya's Wilson Chebet, who finished 11 seconds behind.
Meb went out early and built a big lead. But he was looking over his shoulder several times as Chebet closed the gap over the final two miles. After realizing he wouldn't be caught, Keflezighi raised his sunglasses, began pumping his right fist and made the sign of the cross. He broke into tears after crossing the finish line, then draped himself in the American flag.
No U.S. runner had won the race since Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach took the women's title in 1985. The last American man to win was Greg Meyer in 1983. Meyer and Keflezighi embraced after the race.
"I'm blessed to be an American and God bless America and God Bless Boston for this special day," Meb Keflezighi said.
Rita Jeptoo of Kenya successfully defended the women's title she said she could not enjoy a year ago. Jeptoo finished in a course-record 2 hours, 18 minutes, 57 seconds. She is a three-time Boston Marathon champion, having also won in 2006.
Rita Jeptoo of Kenya crosses the finish line to win the Women's Elite division of the Boston Marathon.
Ms.Jeptoo broke away from a group of five runners at the 23-mile mark. Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia finished second in 2:19:59. Countrywoman Mare Dibaba was third at 2:19:52. All three women came in under the previous course record.
American Shalane Flanagan, who went to high school in nearby Marblehead, Mass., finished seventh after leading for more than half the race. She gambled by setting the early pace, but fell back on the Newton Hills about 21 miles into the race.
"It does mean a lot to be that my city was proud of me," she said. "I'm proud of how I ran. I don't wish I was it was easier. I wish I was better."
After breaking a 27-year American drought at the New York marathon, Meb Keflezighi contemplated retiring after the 2012 NYC Marathon. But that race was canceled because of Superstorm Sandy, and he pulled out of the Boston Marathon in April because of injury.
Meb was the first American to win a medal in an Olympic marathon since Frank Shorter won gold in 1972 and silver in 1976. His 2009 New York victory broke a 27-year American drought there.
Another American, Tatyana McFadden, celebrated her 25th birthday Monday by winning the women's wheelchair race for the second straight year. She was timed in in 1 hour, 35 minutes, 6 seconds.
Tatyana McFadden was born in Russia and lived in an orphanage as a child before starring at the University of Illinois. She also won the 2013 NYC Marathon women's wheelchair race after taking the titles in Boston, London and Chicago last year.
Ernst van Dyk of South Africa won the men's wheelchair division for a record 10th time. The 41-year-old crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 20 minutes, 36 seconds.
ErnstVan Dyk holds the record for most all-categories Boston Marathon wins. This was his first win at this race since 2010.
Marathon officials said 35,755 runners registered for the race, with 32,408 unofficial starters. The field included just less than 5,000 runners who did not finish last year and accepted invitations to return this year.
Soooo..A good time was had by all...No bombs, no lost lives ,no lost limbs....If the only news coming out of Boston this year was an American , whose name I can't pronounce or spell won the who thing, then that is good news...The only type of news that should come from the Boston Marathon!
1 comment:
I honestly feel bad for what happened in Boston and it's a crying shame that someone would even enact such a heinous feat. However, I'm a bit nauseous on the whole "Boston Strong" bit. In truth, what choice does one have? In order to overcome a tragedy, you have to be strong.
I recall when I was going through the steps toward and after my mastectomy, people would say how strong I was and it always left room for pause. I mean, what's my alternative? Not have the surgery and succumb to breast cancer and leave my then 15 y/o daughter without her mother? No, I think not. Being strong during and after horrible ordeals isn't optional; it's something you to to undo the damage done!
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