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Jan-10-2006
Keflezighi To Run Boston Marathon
by David Monti
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
John Hancock Financial Services, whose cash powers the elite fields of the
BAA Boston Marathon, announced today that Olympic silver medalist, Meb
Keflezighi of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., would compet in the 110th running of
their event on Monday, 17.
Keflezighi, 30, who has a career best time of 2:09:53, is the first athlete
to be announced by Boston, and surely their top American. An American man
has not won since Greg Meyer in 1983.
"The Boston Marathon is internationally recognized and has a great
tradition, and I know there will be high expectations for me," Keflezighi
said in a prepared statement. "I always 'run to win.' It is the motto that
I live by."
Keflezighi has competed well in other major marathons. In three starts at
the ING New York City Marathon, he has gotten onto the podium twice: second
in 2004 and third in 2005. He was also second at the U.S. Olympic Trials
marathon in 2004 where he qualified for the Olympic Games. In extreme heat
in Athens, he finished second behind Stefano Baldini of Italy becoming the
first American man since Frank Shorter in 1976 to win an Olympic marathon
medal.
"Meb is a great competitor, and he will contend for the victory," said Guy
Morse, Executive Director of the Boston Athletic Association, which
organizes the marathon. "He is in the top tier internationally, and we are
thrilled John Hancock was able to secure one of America's best male distance
runners to compete at Boston this year."
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