by Larry EderMeb Keflezighi is the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the marathon. Five years later, Meb won the 2009 ING NYCM.
Meb is the American dream. His parents moved Meb and his brothers and sisters first to Italy, then to the United States. Meb first ran in junior high, then became a fine high school runner in California. In college, Meb came under the perceptive watch of Bob Larson.
His Olympic marathon was run in the very humid conditions of Athens, Greece. ” I knew I had a chance when we were down to four or five, then, it was just me and Stefano Baldini. I went for it, but Stefano ran 4:28 for that last mile. I wanted a medal.”
At the 2011 ING NYCM, Meb was quite busy, speaking for his new footwear brand, SKECHERS, as well as UCAN, his sports nutrition company. Meb told us in the interview that he hoped for a personal best. Well, running a very smart race, Meb ran a personal best by two seconds, all the while having dealt with some stomach distress (think full blown Linda Blair after 23 miles), and yet, Meb continued to battle on.
This video features Meb speaking just before the marathon. Special thanks to the Shoe Addicts, who have captured Meb’s ability to communicate his love for the sport and his affection for the ING New York City Marathon.
