A two-time World Marathon Major winner is making his comeback run after ten long years of gaining a classic victory in the Boston Marathon. The event is going to take place at Hopkinton this April. The moment the news hit the surface of the internet, fans couldn’t hold their anticipation of seeing the 2004 Olympic silver medalist perform on the field again.
48-year-old Men Keflezighi etched his name in 2014 at the Boston Marathon, where he made history by clinching victory in the event. He became the first American man to win the event since 1983. The athlete recently took to social media to drop the announcement of his participation in the upcoming 128th edition of the race.
Back on the Boston streets after a decade
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The sprinter posted a video on his Instagram account where he mentioned every detail in the caption. It goes like, “I am so excited to share, that I will be returning to the streets of Boston, taking on the prestigious race and celebrating my victory from 2014.”
Apart from celebrating his decade-old victory, Keflezighi mentions that his intention to participate in the race is for the MEB Foundation, which is an organization that is dedicated to promoting health, education, and fitness in the United States and beyond. The funds that he will create during the race will be directed to his foundation.
This event will be his first appearance since the 2017 Boston race at the New York City Marathon. The anticipation around Keflezighi’s participation is both for his track records and his staunch achievements in the streets of Boston.
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Keflezighi’s 2:08:37 in Boston in 2014 is the fastest run by an American in the event till now. The race will be run on Monday, April 15, 2024, and will mark the centennial anniversary of the event beginning in the town of Hopkinton. As the event raises its curtains, it is difficult not to look back at one dreaded part of its history.
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Marathon resilience after the massacre
It was the year 2013 when tragedy struck the event. On 15th April 2013, two pressure-cooker bombs were denoted near the marathon’s finish line on Boylston Street and another after 100 yards. It claimed the lives of 3 people and left the city graving under the disaster. But the race has maintained its glory.
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One can not stop marveling at the fact that about thirty thousand participants will take part in the event. “Just four years after we adjusted the race’s qualifying standards by five minutes for all ages and divisions, more than 33,000 athletes earned Boston Marathon qualifying times,” Jack Fleming, President and CEO of the Boston Athletics Association, said. With that, enthusiasts await some lasting memories to be made as the event kicks off.
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