In celebration of Meb Keflezighi’s 10 year anniversary of his 2014 Boston Marathon victory, we will be featuring a Celebration of Meb, highlighting and sharing an aspect of Meb’s life on and off the track and roads leading up to the 2024 Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15. We are thankful to both Meb and Hawi (Meb’s brother and agent) for their partnership on this feature.
Many people the world over know Meb for his incredible exploits in the marathon. He is the first male athlete to win an Olympic medal (silver, 2004 Athens), a New York City Marathon (2009), and a Boston Marathon (2014), and in total competed in 26 marathons across a 15-year period beginning in 2002. It all started, however, with a single mile at Roosevelt Junior High.
Meb was 12 years old when he first arrived to the USA. His first love was soccer, a proficient striker on the pitch. Between early morning English lessons and school studies in the evenings, his refuge was Morley Field at Balboa Park, a place where he, his father, and brothers could play pick-up games on a grassy field. It was here that he would first see people running, not on the pitch in competition for a goal, but for sport. In Run to Overcome, Meb wrote, “At first, I wasn’t even aware that running was considered a sport. Often on Saturdays at Morley Field, lots of people would gather to run a race. My brothers and I had never heard of cross country or track and field. ‘What were these people running for?’ we wondered. There was no ball. What were they chasing? It made no sense to us.”
Running for a Grade
Growing up in the Keflezighi home, academics and fitness were regarded with importance; a way to have balance with school and exercise. In seventh grade PE class Meb was told to run a mile for a grade, the first time he would be timed at the distance. He was told by his teacher, “If you run hard, you’re going to get an A or a B.” The challenge was set; there was little doubt that he would strive for a top-mark.
Again, from Run to Overcome, “I can still diagram the course on paper. It passed through the school grounds, on dirt and on concrete, up and down ramps, all right next to the San Diego Zoo. I just ran hard because I wanted that A; I had no idea of strategy or pace. My time was 5:20.”
Meb’s natural talent was on display. Soccer remained his passion, but running had grabbed hold of him that day – and he got his A.
Check back each day between now and April 15 for the continuation of the 26 Days of Meb.
