Meb Keflezghi, the American distance runner whose career has provided spellbinding moments for almost 20 years, ran his final competitive marathon today in New York City. At age 42, he finished in 11th place in 2:15:29, waving to the crowd and blowing kisses as he approached the finish line.
Once he crossed, he immediately fell to the ground, with his face on the concrete and his legs straight out behind him.
Keflezighi had given his all—in training, in the weeks leading up to the race in interviews and appearances, and during the race itself. At that moment, he simply had no energy left.
For a few seconds, the crowd went quiet. His brother and agent, Hawi Keflezighi, conceded later that he was concerned, after seeing him approach the finish line with some gusto and then suddenly go so still.
Keflezighi’s wife, Yordanos Asgedom, rushed to help him up, as their three daughters stood nearby. They helped him to his coach, Bob Larsen, standing behind a barricade just beyond the finish line.
Within moments, Keflezighi was recovering. In interviews later, he said that he had been plagued by an upset stomach and vomited several times from the 23rd mile to the finish. The same problem bothered him at the Olympics in Rio, where he raced in similar humidity.
There’s no doubt that retirement is coming at a good time. “Today, my mind says, ‘Go,’” Keflezighi said. “My body says, ‘You can’t go.’”
Keflezighi has always been a student of a sport, and he wanted to make this marathon, his 26th running of the 26.2-mile distance, his last. He also wanted to end in New York, where he ran his first marathon in 2002 and won in 2009. In all, he has finished the NYC Marathon 11 times.
When the men’s elite field went out at a slow pace, it was an advantage for Keflezighi, who wasn’t expected to challenge for victory. He remained highly visible, in fluorescent orange shorts, giving thumbs up and small gestures to the crowd as he ran up First Avenue, where he also ditched his hat, making him even more recognizable to fans as he ran by.
Keflezighi stuck with the lead pack of 12 men through 19 miles, until the eventual winner, Geoffrey Kamworor, put in a 4:48 mile, which Keflezighi had no hopes of matching. “When the turnover is fast, back in my youth I could respond,” he said. “Today there’s no way.”
He slowed to a 6:09 mile when he was sick, but he was buoyed by word of Shalane Flanagan’s victory, which a spectator delivered at mile 24. “Somebody said, ‘One hundred meters to catch the next person, and Shalane won,’” Keflezighi recalled, saying he jumped in joy at the news. “What a day for Americans.”
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In his comments after the race, Keflezighi was full of gratitude for his good, long run. He’ll miss being a competitor, he said, but he’s looking forward to activities that are off limits for an elite runner: skiing, surfing, hiking, and camping. He wants to be present for his family, a “normal dad.”
He won’t miss the ice baths he takes to help his legs recover from his workouts. Nor will he miss the 6 a.m. wake-up calls from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, there to conduct drug tests.
As the tributes have rolled in during his long good-bye, Keflezighi has been at times teary. Today, after his final 26.2, he was just weary. And looking forward toward his future, which he says could include coaching, working for his foundation, and giving back to a sport that has given him so much.
But first, a little celebration.
“I’m going to have wine tonight,” he said. “I couldn’t have any last night."
The Journey of Shadrack Kipchirchir & Elvin Kibet is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World Advertisement - Continue Reading Below, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
