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	Meb Keflezighi to Return as a Favorite for New York

Olympic Medalist Meb Keflezighi to Return as a Favorite for the ING New York City Marathon 2005

NEW YORK - (July 13, 2005) - Meb Keflezighi of the United States, the 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist and the runner-up at the ING New York City Marathon 2004, will return to the ING New York City Marathon 2005 as one of the favorites to win the coveted title, it has been announced by the New York Road Runners.

"It has been more than 20 years since the glory days of Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter and Alberto Salazar," said Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road Runners and race director of the ING New York City Marathon. "This year, for the first time since then, we can say that an American man is a favorite to win in New York. And that man is Meb Keflezighi."

The last American man to win the New York City Marathon was Alberto Salazar when he completed his three-peat in 1982.

Wittenberg was joined by Keflezighi from his training base in Mammoth Lakes, California, for the announcement via a national media conference call.

Keflezighi was ranked fifth in the world in 2004 at the marathon distance, with three runner-up finishes in three starts. The Team Running USA athlete placed second at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials (2:11:47) in February, won the Olympic silver medal (2:11:29) in Athens last August, and then, just 70 days later, finished as the runner-up (2:09:53, a personal record) at the ING New York City Marathon on November 7. Keflezighi's Olympic silver was the first marathon medal for an American male since Frank Shorter placed second at the 1976 Montreal Games, and his second place in New York was the best finish by an American since Bob Kempainen in 1993.

Keflezighi and defending ING New York City Marathon champion Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa are the first men officially entered in the race set for Sunday, November 6. The contest will mark a renewal of a heated rivalry between the two, in which the American leads 3-2. However, Ramaala has come out on top in their last two meetings, at last year's ING New York City Marathon and at the Healthy Kidney 10K in May, where Ramaala placed second and Keflezighi third.

Born in Eritrea, Keflezighi, 30, became a U.S. citizen in 1998 and resides in California. He graduated from UCLA in 1999 as the school's all-time greatest male distance runner, a four-time NCAA champion and the school record-holder in the 5000 and 10,000 meters. With his long history of success on the track, Keflezighi moved up to the marathon distance in 2002, debuting in New York that year. Keflezighi holds the American record for 10,000 meters and 20K, has claimed three USA 10,000m titles and 14 USA titles overall and finished 12th at that distance at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He will represent the United States once again at the IAAF World Championships 10,000 meters in Helsinki, Finland this August.

source RunningUSA