Meb Keflezighi celebrates after winning the 2009 New York City Marathon

“This is my first and last marathon. I never want to do a marathon again.”

Can you guess who uttered these words after the 2002 New York City Marathon? It was none other than Meb Keflezighi after making his marathon debut in the streets of the Big Apple. He was a 2000 Olympian in the 10,000m and many were surprised at his decision to move up to the marathon that fall, but the prestige of New York attracted Keflezighi, who had just set 10,000m American record in 2001, to the 26.2 contest.

“People always said that I would be a great marathoner,” Keflezighi said. His reasons for running his first marathon in New York included the fact that there was no World Championship that summer, the excellent time of the year for marathon running, and ultimately the spirit of the competition.

“It’s all about the title versus going to a flatter course where you do for debut, fastest time or American record.”

Keflezighi remembers the chilly weather (38 degrees to be exact), the amazing crowds and how he maybe got “too excited” running down 1st Avenue.

“Basically I went for the win, and I was supposed to hold back on 1st Avenue but I got too excited and felt like I was like, not jogging, but very comfortable within myself,” Keflezighi said. “I started pushing it at 18, 19, maybe got a little warm. I wasn’t hot but I threw my beanie away, put my gloves away. That was a rookie mistake. I got it down to four people. I said, worst scenario I get fourth place, best scenario I think I can still win.”

Keflezighi then remembers pouring cold water on his head, water that had been sitting there for 5 hours and practically freezing. “I didn’t think about that, and it just shut my engine off,” he said. He wound up finishing ninth overall in 2:12:35. The Olympic Standard time was sub-2:12.

“I tell people I got my PhD that day,” Keflezighi said. “I know what to do, what not to do, and New York is where I learned my PhD.”


Watch MEB: Episode 1!

Despite his first marathon “disaster,” Keflezighi returned to the distance in Chicago the following fall and ran 2:10:03. He then of course earned the Silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Through the many personal bests and career honors Keflezighi keeps returning to the city where it all started.

“New York has kind of been my home away from home. I love being in Central Park. It’s the only place I know in New York, I know nothing else!” he said with a laugh.

Keflezighi credits the New York Road Runners crew for seeing the “longevity” of his career and for so many other runners. He kept returning to the concrete jungle of New York after that debut in 2002 and finally won the coveted title in 2009, after four non-victorious attempts. The timing of winning in 2009 after failing to make the Olympic team in 2008 was perfect.

“This is my Olympics,” he said. “My Olympics will be the New York City Marathon. To be able to chant ‘USA! USA!’ was a great feeling. Getting Silver [in 2004] was big but winning the New York City Marathon took it to another level.”

Since 2009, Keflezighi truly has cemented himself as “America’s Top Marathoner,” with a fourth-place at the 2012 London Olympics, and a 2014 Boston Marathon title. On November 1, he will return for his 10th appearance in the New York City Marathon. It has been 13 years since his first marathon in this city and he has since recorded seven top-10 NYC Marathon finishes. He’ll toe the line against some of the world’s best, including last year’s winner Wilson Kipsang, this year’s Boston champion Lelisa Desisa, and the 2015 World Championship 10K silver medalist Geoffrey Kamworor.

With the Olympic Trials looming in February and most U.S. marathoners opting out of major fall marathons, you could argue that nobody is more passionate about this race than Keflezighi.

Good thing he never quit the marathon.

Be sure to check out MEB: Episode 2 debuting on FloTrack tomorrow!