American runners have Boston hopes
BOSTON – Meb Keflezighi might just have everything he needs to win the Boston Marathon: an American passport and East African heritage.
The silver medalist at the Athens Olympics and a naturalized American citizen, Keflezighi was born near the cradle of Boston champions in the Horn of Africa nation of Eritrea. To the south of his homeland is Ethiopia and to the south of that is Kenya. Together, they account for 16 of the last 18 men’s winners in Boston and eight of nine on the women’s side.
But as Keflezighi covers the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston on Monday during the 110th edition of the world’s oldest marathon, he will have something on his side none of his African predecessors had: a crowd rooting for the first U.S. winner here in more than 20 years.
“The crowd’s definitely going to bring more excitement for those that have the USA uniform on,” said Alan Culpepper, whose fourth-place finish last year was the best for a U.S. man since 1987.
“It wouldn’t be a surprise to me to see an American win. As an American athlete, I’ve just seen the progress happening. I’ve seen how far we’ve come in the last five years.”
The last American to win in Boston was Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach in 1985. No American man has won since Greg Meyer in 1983.
But Culpepper’s fourth last year and Keflezighi’s second in Athens means the Americans are at least a threat to break the Kenyan stranglehold.
“Why can’t it happen now?” Keflezighi (pronounced: kef-lez-ghee) asked Friday. “It would mean a lot for me personally, but also for the whole United States. I know the whole crowd’s behind me. I know the whole United States is behind me.
“It’s not just a shot. I have a legitimate shot, and I have to do well on Monday.”
Keflezighi came to the United States in 1987 as a sixth-grader and became a citizen in 1998.
Brian Sell, of Woodbury, Pa., and Clint Verran, of Lake Orion, Mich., give the more top 10 hopefuls.
“I’d love to see four Americans in the top 10, and one of the guys taking the win,” said Sell, who was ninth at the world championships last year. “It would be great for American distance running.”
Defending women’s champion Catherine Ndereba, a four-time winner, is not in the field this year, leaving it open for top contenders such as Japan’s Reiko Tosa, Latvia’s Jelena Prokopcuka and Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo. Top U.S. women are scarce.