Keflezighi set to inspire again

Ever since Meb Keflezighi won last year's Boston Marathon, the first race after the finish-line bombings and the first win for an American man in more than 30 years, fans have been gravitating to him wherever he goes.

It hasn't been the usual victory lap.

"It's not even 'congratulations.' It's 'thank you,' " he said last week as he reflected on his cathartic victory. "You never know what crossing that finish line will bring you. But I feel so blessed that I was able to pull it off."

A native Eritrean who came to the United States at age 12 to escape war and poverty, Keflezighi reacted to the bombings in the same way as others in his adopted homeland: He wanted to do something for the victims.

At 38, five years removed from his New York Marathon victory and a decade since his Olympic silver medal, Keflezighi was an unlikely candidate to win the race. No American man had won the race since Greg Meyer in 1983; only once since Keflezighi was third in 2006 had a U.S. man even reached the podium.

But Keflezighi raced past the sites of the explosions on Boylston Street to win in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 37 seconds.

"All runners can relate, how meaningful the Boston Marathon is," said Keflezighi, who had written on his race bib the names of the four who died in the bombings and their aftermath. "They wanted 'Boston Strong.' I'm going to give them 'Meb Strong.' "