Maybe it was the cold New York City air, maybe it was the fact that only two years ago it seemed he would never be able to run again, or maybe he was just filled with national pride. Whatever the reason, Meb Keflezighi could not hold back the tears as he crossed the finish line in Central Park. Keflezighi won the annual ING New York City Marathon Nov. 1, becoming the first U.S. citizen to do so in 27 years. The last American man to win the race was Alberto Salazar in 1982.
Keflezighi, 34, was born in the African nation of Eritrea. According to Runner’s World Magazine, his family moved to San Diego in October of 1987, and he became a U.S. citizen in 1998. In 2004, Keflezighi took silver in the Athens Olympics for the U.S. team. This year in the New York Marathon, he ran a personal record of 2:09:15 to beat out some of the best runners in the world and take home first place for the United States.
According to the Marathon’s website, Keflezighi won a total of $200,000: $130,000 for the ING New York City Marathon title, $40,000 for the USA Men’s Marathon crown and a $30,000 time bonus for finishing in under 2:10.
On the women’s side, Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia won with a time of 2:28:52, beating out defending champion Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain).
In the Wheelchair Race, Kurt Fearnley (Australia) and Edith Hunkeler (Switzerland) both defended their three year and two year titles, respectively.
The race attracts about 90,000 runners each year, but caps participants at 38,000, according to Adventure Marathons.
Keflezighi’s win was all the more meaningful because only two years ago he thought he would never be able to run again. Keflezighi suffered a stress fracture in his hip – a major injury for any runner – during the U.S. Olympic Trials, and missed the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. After a year and a half of rehab, Keflezighi completely recovered earlier this year, returning to the running circuit for the New York Marathon.
“Today was a huge day,” Keflezighi said in an article with the Washington Post. “You visualize, you visualize, but when reality hits, it hits home, and it’s pretty sweet.”