Keflezighi wins first title in New York

NEW YORK -- As he strode across the final yards of leaf-covered pavement in Central Park, Meb Keflezighi pointed to the "USA" emblazoned across his uniform tankard and gave a thumbs-up sign.

Indeed, things are looking up for Keflezighi and American distance running.

Two years after suffering a near-career-ending hip injury during the Olympic Trials here, Keflezighi ran a poised and patient race for 24 miles before surging late for a resounding victory in the ING New York City Marathon in a personal-best two hours, 9 minutes, 15 seconds.

The victory by Keflezighi, the first of his career, is the first by an American, male or female, in this race since 1982, when Alberto Salazar won the second of back-to-back men's titles. It also secured him the U.S. men's marathon championship and $200,000 in prize money and time bonuses.

"U.S.A. gave me all the opportunity in the world, education, sports, lifestyle," Keflezighi said. "This is so special to me. This is really a special day."

That sense of accomplishment extends to all of the U.S. men.

Olympian Ryan Hall, one of the pre-race favorites, finished fourth in 2:10:36. Jorge Torres finished his marathon debut in seventh place in 2:13:00, Nick Arciniaga was eighth in 2:13:46, Abdi Abdirahman was ninth in 2:14:00, and Jason Lemkuhle was 10th in 2:14:39, giving the Americans six Top 10 finishers in this race for the first time since 1979, when Bill Rodgers was the champion.

"I was really happy for Meb," Hall said. "Someone yelled to me that Meb was going to win when I was passing like mile 23 or 24. I just smiled and was like, ‘Man, that's awesome.' He totally capitalized on a golden opportunity. He continues to break barriers for us young Americans to try to follow in his footsteps. So it was good day for the Americans."

It has been a good year for American distance running, with Hall finishing third in the Boston Marathon in April, Dathan Ritzenhein and Matt Tegenkamp both breaking 13 minutes in the 5000m, Bernard Lagat winning two medals at the World Championships, and Ritzenhein landing America's first podium finish at the World Half-Marathon championships.

But what was lacking for the Americans in those achievements was a signature victory.

Now they have it.

"It's a great day for American running and for USA Track & Field," USA Track & Field CEO Doug Logan said. "Based on the consistent upswing in our long-distance performances, we knew it would only be a matter of time until our men won another major marathon. I promise that we will not have to wait 27 years for another victory."

Keflezighi said this was the culmination of a process that began over a decade ago.

"Eleven years ago, I wrote a letter to Mr. Alberto Salazar that said, you know, we need to change the U.S. distance running," Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, said. "To visualize that, and to be the first American to win since him is a big honor, obviously. I have appreciated him.

"We have great runners here. You know, Jorge Torres has been in the 10k before, and Ryan has done a great job in the marathon, getting a fast time and finishing third in Boston is huge. At the high school level, collegiate level, professional level, we are set. The results also speak for themselves. There's a lot of great things going on. This is has been mine since 1998 and I'm glad to still be part of it."

For a while it appeared that Keflezighi might not be a part of it.

In 2007, he failed to qualify for the Olympics in the marathon, finishing eighth in the Trials while dealing with a mysterious hip injury. The day after the race he crawled on hands and knees to get around his hotel room. He leaned against people to walk. When sleeping, he used his arms to fling his right leg over his left.

In June of 2008, he tried to qualify for Beijing in the 10,000m and wound up finishing 13th in 28:39.02, nearly a lap behind Torres, the third-place finisher. Between the pain and the disappointment, he was ready to call it quits.

But after visiting more than 20 doctors over a 10-week span, Keflezighi's injury was finally diagnosed as a fracture.

"I called Dr. Natalia Natife. She's a bone specialist I've known since I was at UCLA," Keflezighi said. "I asked her, ‘Can I walk or can I run again?' I wasn't sure if I was going to recover from it. That was the first question I asked her. And she said, ‘You know, we have to be patient. You can't rush it.'"

The same patience Keflezighi showed in his recovery also served him well in the race.

In his first four races in New York, a tendency to break to the front too early wound up costing Keflezighi in the later stages of the race, when the hills of Fifth Avenue and Central Park often break fatiguing runners.

"My wife always after watching the 2000 ‑‑ 2004‑2005 video she said you could have one of those years, but you've got to be patient," Keflezighi said. "Don't lead. That's why you saw me in the back the whole time, and hopefully try to put it together."

Keflezighi was content to sit back in the pack while his counterparts, most notably Moroccan Abderrahime Bouramdane, see-sawed taking turns running at the front.

The pack began to really separate on First Avenue. Consecutive miles of 4:43 and 4:37 saw Abdirahman, Torres and Hall, and Olympic silver medalist Jauoad Gharib of Morocco fall off. That left a pack of just five men -- James Kwambai, Robert K. Cheruiyot and Jackson Kipkoech of Kenya, Bouramdane, and Keflezighi - at the front. At the 19th mile point, Hall had fallen 21 seconds off the pace and Torres was 34 seconds back.

Cheruiyot and Kwambai, who train together, held their position at the front of the pack with Bouramdane and Keflezighi a step behind as they made their way up the Willis Avenue Bridge in the Bronx. As they made their way through the 21st mile, the runners maintained positioning and opened a 13 second lead on Kipkoech, the next closest runner.

During the 22nd mile, Kwambai and Bouramdane fell eight seconds back, leaving Keflezighi and Cheruiyot running side by side in the lead. Cheruiyot took a bit of a lead at the watering station and actually motioned for Keflezighi to take the lead. But Meb remained true to his plan of patience and tucked behind Cheruiyot's right shoulder.

"Coach can tell you a few things to plan, but you have to use your head and intuition," Keflezighi said "And looking back to see and sense what's going on. I didn't go crazy on First Avenue. That was what we talked about, and we visualized that, and stayed back and mastered it pretty well."

Keflezighi and Cheruiyot turned it into a two-man race down Fifth Avenue. The two runners turned into Central Park bumping shoulders. As they approached the 24-mile mark, Keflezighi finally decided to make his move. He took off and Cheruiyot did not go with him.

"When we were on Fifth Avenue, I was trying to get up in front," Keflezighi said. "I knew he was looking a lot back and he was trying to get away from me. But it was windy. You know, Robert's a great champion, a four‑time Boston champion. I was just praying that this would be my day."

By then Keflezighi, had established a nice rhythm and continued to push the pace, opening a six second lead, and then eight seconds, then 12. When Keflezighi looked back over his shoulder to see where Cheruiyot was, the Kenyan was barely in sight.

What did come into view was a somber reminder of the 2007 Olympic Trials. As Keflezighi approached the boathouse area, he recalled his good friend Ryan Shay, who collapsed at that point when his heart went into an irregular rhythm during the Trials race and was later pronounced dead at just 28 years old.

"I did this when I was there -- the sign of the cross -- that's what it was for," Keflezighi said.

As Keflezighi continued along his triumphant sprint to the finish, the tears welled up in his eyes and he was visually emotional after he crossed the line and performed the traditional kissing of the pavement.

"Part of it was just visualizing your dream and your dreams becoming reality," Keflezighi said. "You know, also the other part as I'm running is Ryan Shay. That's what I was most crying about, that and how proud he would have been of me."

Other than his friend not being there to witness one of the highlights of his career, Keflezighi said it was a perfect day.

"Life is about ups and downs," Keflezighi said. "I hope to be an example when the going gets tough -- that there is light at the end of the tunnel if you keep your hopes high. To be able to win my first marathon ever at the place where I started and on a PR, wearing that USA jersey, it can't get any better.

"It's just sweet."