Meb Keflezighi

Keflezighi was recognized as an Outstanding American by Choice by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2017.

On April 21, 2014, Meb became the first American man to win the Boston Marathon since 1983, besting many of the heavy African favorites in a new personal best of 2:08:37. With this victory, Meb became the only Marathoner in history to win the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon, and an Olympic Medal.

At the end of 2014, Meb was selected for the Jesse Owens Award as the USATF Athlete of the Year.

Keflezighi uses nine-day training cycles instead of traditional training weeks, which he says allows him to concentrate on training while also allowing himself to recover. His training is composed of tempo runs, intervals, long runs and cross-training. In the weeks leading up to the 2014 Boston Marathon, he ran 2–3 times a day, and used his ElliptiGO for 10–20 mile cross-training rides to avoid injuries. Additionally, he tries to keep himself healthy with daily core-strengthening exercises, stretching, altitude training, tune-up races, and a high-protein diet with 5 servings of fruit.

Despite his success, Keflezighi's sponsor Nike did not renew his long-running contract in 2011. As a result, Keflezighi competed as an unsponsored athlete. In December 2011, Keflezhigi was signed up by sportswear company Skechers, whom he has represented since. In 2013, Keflezighi signed with elliptical cycling company ElliptiGO. Other current sponsors in 2014 include PowerBar, Sony, Oakley, Inc., Garmin, USANA Health Sciences, Generation UCAN, CEP Compression, New York Athletic Club, and KRAVE Jerky.

He was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.

On October 11, 2010, he released his autobiography, Run to Overcome, which was published by Tyndale House Publishers. The book, co-authored with noted sports writer Dick Patrick, included recollections about major milestones in his life, such as his Olympic competitions and other running highlights, as well as his early years, leading up to the present day. He is also the driving force behind the MEB Foundation, the "MEB" standing for "Maintaining Excellent Balance," which principally promotes healthy living, and other positive lifestyle choices and motivation for school-age youth.

Keflezighi is a three-time national champion in cross country running, having won the USA Cross Country Championships in 2001, 2002 and 2009.

Keflezighi is represented by his brother Merhawi, who as a UCLA undergraduate was a student manager for the Bruin men's basketball team (head student manager in 2001–02) and is a 2006 graduate of the UCLA School of Law. Meb and his wife Yordanos married in November 2004 and have three daughters: Sara; Fiyori; and Yohana.

Keflezighi and his family were refugees from Eritrea, who came to the United States via Italy in 1987. He is one of ten children.

A year later, the Keflezighis moved to San Diego, arriving on October 21, 1987, and eventually settling into a 3-bedroom apartment that now held 8 family members, including the 6 children. Eventually, the Keflezighis would have 10 children. Russom worked as many jobs as he could find, but insisted that his children focus their attention on schoolwork. Meb began running while a student at Memorial Academy in San Diego, where he ran a 5:10 mile before going on to win both the 1600 meters and 3200 meters at the CIF California State Championships in 1994 for San Diego High School. Keflezighi became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1998 – the same year in which he graduated from UCLA. While at UCLA Keflezighi received numerous All-American awards and other accolades. He won four NCAA championships (the 5k and 10k outdoor and 5 k indoor) during the 1996–97 season, including the cross-country title, spanning from the track and field season in the spring to the cross country season in the fall.

Mebrahtom "Meb" Keflezighi (/ˈ m ɛ b k ə ˈ f l ɛ z ɡ i / ; Ge'ez: መብራህቶም ክፍልእዝጊ, Mebrāhtōm Kifl'izgī; born May 5, 1975) is a retired Eritrean-born American long distance runner. He is the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the marathon and finished in fourth place in the 2012 Summer Olympics. He won the 2009 New York City Marathon on November 1, 2009, and the 2014 Boston Marathon on April 21, 2014, becoming the first American man to win each race since 1982 and 1983, respectively. Keflezighi is a graduate of UCLA where he won four NCAA championships competing for the UCLA Bruins track and field team. He came in fourth in the 2014 New York City Marathon on November 2, 2014, eighth in the 2015 Boston Marathon on April 20, 2015 and second in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Meb was born in Eritrea on May 5, 1975, the third son of Russom and Awetash Keflezighi. At the time, Eritrea was embroiled in an often-brutal 30-year war for liberation from Ethiopia (Eritrea finally achieved independence in 1993), and Russom was a liberation supporter. This meant that he sometimes had to leave his home in Adi Beyani to escape Ethiopian soldiers and their brutal massacres. Meb recalls that his childhood included regular encounters with death and dismemberment of his Eritrean friends and neighbors. He didn't see a car until he was 10 yrs old. Thinking it was a death machine, he took flight. "That was one of the races I lost," he once told the New York Times. Awetash feared that her husband would be killed, and eventually convinced him to flee Ethiopia for a better life. He ended up in Milan, Italy, for 5 yrs, sending money home until he could afford to bring the family to Italy. That reunion took place in 1986, and afforded Meb his first chance to watch TV. He couldn't figure out how the actors got inside the small box.