Keflezighi first U.S. man to win Boston Marathon since 1983

A year after tragedy, triumph in Boston

Los Angeles Times

BOSTON - Before Meb Keflezighi embarked on the 26.2-mile journey Monday to become the first American man to win the Boston Marathon since 1983, he wrote four names on his yellow race bib.

Martin, for Martin Richard.

Krystle, for Krystle Campbell.

Ling, for Lu Lingzi.

Sean, for Sean Collier.

The first three died in the bombings that occurred near the finish line of last year's race. The last was shot and killed, investigators said, by one of the alleged bombers.

'It could've been me, my wife or me watching as a spectator,” said Keflezighi, a 38-year-old UCLA graduate.

The four names scrawled in black marker permeated Keflezighi's 2 hours 8 minutes 37 seconds winding past chants of 'USA!” and 'Boston Strong” T-shirts. On a day when almost 36,000 runners started the race shadowed by heightened security and even more emotion, he provided a fitting ending.

Last year, an injury kept Keflezighi out of the race and in the grandstands on Boylston Street near the finish line. He departed five minutes before the first pressure-cooker bomb exploded.

This time he repeated that popular mantra, 'Boston Strong,” and his own invention 'Meb Strong” to spur himself on. As he fought to maintain a sizable lead during the race's final miles, his thoughts turned to the names on the bib between prayers for the strength to finish.

In the process, Keflezighi delivered the first Boston victory by an American man since Greg Meyer in 1983.

'It couldn't happen at a better time to win for the United States,” Keflezighi said.

A sore hamstring made the prospect of an all-out surge for the finish unwise. So, Keflezighi and his coach, Bob Larsen, focused on maintaining an even pace throughout the race. By 17 miles, Keflezighi owned a lead that assured no dramatic finish would be necessary. Nerves still lapped at him during the slog through the four Newton hills, though. Sometimes, Keflezighi admitted, others believe in him more than he does in himself. So, he repeatedly glanced behind and reminded himself to conserve energy for a dash to the finish. He expected a challenge that never materialized.

The pack failed to reel him in. Even a wave of nausea 22 miles in didn't throw off Keflezighi.

'I always told people I thought he could do really well on this course,” said Larsen, who believed this was the strongest men's field in a marathon that started in 1897. 'We couldn't have scripted this any better.”

Behind every grin and quip, however, the finality of the four names on his race bib lingered.

'This is for the victims,” Keflezighi said. 'We can't get them back.”