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Meb Keflezighi, other American elites at NYC Marathon prove US distance runners are back in the game
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Meb wins 2009 NYC Marathon in 2:09:15
In the past few days since the completion of the 40th annual New York City Marathon, winner Meb Keflezighi has received an extraordinary amount of press. He has appeared on the Today Show, on CNN News, and his "Top Ten Things that Go Through Your Head While Running the NYC Marathon" skit from the "Late Night Show with David Letterman" has generated many laughs.
Yesterday, Keflezighi was awarded the USA Today's Olympic Athlete of the Week for his NYC Marathon win. Why are both the running community, as well as sports fans around the country, so abuzz over Keflezighi's win?
It has been 27 years since an American man crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon in first place. Meb's victory has showed the world that the US is a force to be reckoned with once again when it comes to distance running.
After the three-time champion Alberto Salazar won his last NYC Marathon in 1982, the podium has seen runners from Italy, Mexico, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Brazil, and more, but US men have continued to fall short. The trend has been seen at other World Majors Marathons as well - the last American man to win the Boston Marathon was in 1983. Other than Khalid Khannouchi's in London (2002) and Chicago (2000, 2002), those races have also lacked an American champion since 1981 and 1982, respectively. Ryan Hall hoped to bring a US victory in Boston this year, as did Kara Goucher in the women's field, but both fell short and finished in third.
Meb pulled ahead in the last few miles of the course on Sunday; turned the corner into Central Park heading toward the finish line at Tavern on the Green, he pointed to the red USA letters on the front of his jersey. His victory was going to be that much sweeter because of the change that it represents in America's place in the running world. Not only did Meb place first, Ryan Hall came in fourth, and the top ten men's finishers included six Americans.
As Meb told the Today Show reporter of his victory, "This is a big day yesterday for us, all of us in the USA to be able to do it after Alberto Salazar in 1982, it's a huge accomplishment for all of us and all those 43,000 people who finished the race, they're all winners".
Is Meb's victory a sign of things in Boston 2010, the rest of the World Majors Marathons next year, and the 2012 Olympics?
For more information on the NYC Marathon, check out the complete New York Running Examiner Guide to the 2009 New York City Marathon.
Want to join the excitement of the 2010 New York City Marathon? Lottery registration opened Monday, Nov. 2.
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