Not since 1982 has an American won the New York City marathon. This all changed on Sunday morning when Meb Keflezighi crossed the line in a first place finish of 2 hours 9 minutes and 15 seconds. Donning his white United States team singlet, Keflezighi ran an inspired final 10,000 meters to break away from the field on the difficult Central Park section of the course. While some may debate the "American-ness" of Keflezighi, as he immigrated to this country as a twelve year old from Eritrea, I see no cause for this argument. Meb began his running career in the States, running track and field for his local high school (San Diego High School) and then going onto compete for the UCLA Bruins. This makes him a product of our American running system, and what a product he has become. Keflezighi is runner with heart and honor. As a fellow marathon runner, I couldn't be more proud to have him represent our sport and country.
Here is a funny take from David Letterman about the thoughts of Keflezighi during his victorious voyage through NYC.