Sports

Meet 2014 Boston Marathon Winner, Olympic Medalist at 'Meb Keflezighi Day'

Those who attend "Meb Keflezighi Day" on Saturday in San Diego will get a chance to walk the track with the 2004 Olympic silver medalist.

Meb Keflezighi, the San Diego runner who became the first American man to win the Boston Marathon in 31 years, will be honored Saturday at San Diego High School.

Those who attend "Meb Keflezighi Day" will get a chance to walk the track with the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, according to the San Diego Hall of Champions.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Councilman David Alvarez, a middle and high school classmate of Keflezighi's, will present awards.

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The runner, who turned 39 on May 5, won the 118th Boston Marathon on April 21 with an official time of 2:08:37.

He was among nearly 36,000 runners in a race that was scarred a year earlier by two homemade bombs that killed three people and injured 264 others.

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As Keflezighi approached the finish line roughly 10 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Wilson Chebet of Kenya, he could be seen pumping his fist as the crowd cheered him on.

Keflezighi and his family immigrated to the United States as refugees from Eritrea when he was 12 years old. He won both the 1600 meter and 3200 meter races at the CIF California State Championships in 1994 while at San Diego High School.

—City News Service


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