American wins Boston Marathon for first time since 1985

Meb Keflezighi takes men's division; Kenya's Rita Jeptoo wins women's

4/21/2014
ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • Boston-Marathon-24

    Meb Keflezighi, of San Diego, Calif., celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 118th Boston Marathon today in Boston.

    ASSOCIATED PRESS.

    • Meb Keflezighi, of San Diego, Calif., celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 118th Boston Marathon today in Boston.
    Meb Keflezighi, of San Diego, Calif., celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 118th Boston Marathon today in Boston.

    BOSTON —  American Meb Keflezighi has won the Boston Marathon, a year after a bombing at the finish line left three dead and more than 260 people injured.

    Keflezighi is a former New York City Marathon champion and Olympic medalist. He ran the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to the finish on Boylston Street in Boston’s Back Bay today in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 37 seconds.

    Rita Jeptoo, of Kenya, breaks the tape to win the women's division of the 118th Boston Marathon.
    Rita Jeptoo, of Kenya, breaks the tape to win the women's division of the 118th Boston Marathon.

    Keflezighi held off Wilson Chebet of Kenya who finished 11 seconds behind. The 38-year-old from San Diego looked over his shoulder several times over the final mile. After realizing he wouldn’t be caught, he raised his sunglasses, began pumping his right fist and made the sign of the cross.

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    No U.S. runner had won the race since Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach took the women’s title in 1985; the last American man to win was Greg Meyer in 1983.

    Rita Jeptoo of Kenya successfully defended the Boston Marathon title she said she could not enjoy a year ago after the fatal bombings.

    Jeptoo finished today's race in a course-record 2 hours, 18 minutes, 57 seconds. She becomes the seventh three-time Boston Marathon champion.

    Jeptoo broke away from a group of five runners at the 23-mile mark. Buzunesh Deba finished second with an unofficial time of 2:19:59.

    American Shalane Flanagan finished fifth after leading for more than half the race. She took a gamble by setting the early pace. She ran her first mile in 5 minutes, 11 seconds, but fell back on the Newton Hills about 21 miles into the race.