Meb Keflezighi, who earlier this year won the U.S. Half Marathon Championships in Houston, will line up as the favourite in this weekend’s 4th Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in San Jose (4 October).
In 2004, Keflezighi, of Mammoth Lakes, California, became the first American man to win an Olympic marathon medal since Frank Shorter captured the silver in 1976. The same year Keflezighi followed up his own Olympic silver medal performance with a second-place finish at the ING New York City Marathon, establishing himself as one of the U.S.’s premier distance runners.
“The Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in San Jose comes at the right time in my training for the upcoming ING New York City Marathon,” said Keflezighi. “I hope to run strong and finish the race, unlike my attempt in 2006. I would like to have a positive outcome, hopefully a new personal best time and a victory.”
At the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose in 2006, Keflezighi suffered a hamstring cramp heading into the 11th mile and decided to pull off the course. He was in third place at the time, having gone through 10 miles at 46:45, one of the fastest times ever by an American for that distance.
Kenya’s Duncan Kibet won the inaugural race in a time of 60:22, a mark which still stands as the California state half-marathon record. Kibet has gone on to become the second fastest man ever to run a marathon when he won the 2009 Rotterdam marathon in 2:04:27, the fastest marathon in the world this year.
Keflezighi will face strong competition Sunday from UC Berkley graduate Bolota Asmerom. Asmerom, a three-year letter winner in track for Cal, finished 10th at last year’s ING New York City Marathon.
The women’s elite field will be led by Beijing Olympian Magdalena Lewy-Boulet.
Dan Cruz (organisers) for the IAAF
