The first American to win Boston since 1983, Meb Keflezighi is running Monday for Team MR8

The first American man to win the Boston Marathon since 1983 crossed the finish line April 21 in 2:08:37, triumphant in a storied race that has become a national symbol of resiliency and determination. A year after the bombings, Meb Keflezighi (Eritean-born Meb became an American citizen in 1998) wrote the names of the victims -- Martin, Krystle, Lingzi and Sean — on his race bib. He crossed the finish line wearing it as he won the 2014 Boston Marathon. Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell and Lingzi Lu were killed when the bombs exploded on Boylston Street on April 15, 2013. Sean Collier, an MIT police officer, was murdered a few days later by the marathon bombers. Keflezighi's emotional marathon victory was the first win by an American man since 1983. It also came two weeks before his 39th birthday, making him the oldest winner in decades. The elite runner retired from competitive marathoning last year after running Boston and New York, the 25th and 26th marathons of his storied career. But, on April 16, Keflezighi is coming back to Boston to run the marathon once again. This time he'll be running as part of Team MR8 -- so named for the 8-year-old boy from Dorchester's initials and sports number — alongside the other men and women running to raise money for the Martin Richard Foundation.

posted Friday April 13th