Name	Meb Keflezighi
Height	5 ft 7 in
Naionality	American
Date of Birth	5-May-1975
Place of Birth	Asmara, Eritrea
Famous for	Long-Distance Running

Meb Keflezighi is an American athlete, specializing in long distance running. He is a 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist in the Marathon and finished in 4th place in the 2012 Summer Olympics. He and his family were refugees from Eritrea via Italy to the United States, when he was age 12.

He began running while in an American junior high school (Roosevelt Middle School (San Diego, California)) in San Diego, going on to win both the 1600 meters and 3200 meters at the CIF California State Championships in 1994 for San Diego High School. The distinction of Keflezighi's homegrown American running history differentiated him from other African-born elite athletes, such as Bernard Lagat, whose change of domicile and citizenship had been for largely competitive reasons. Keflezighi became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1998, the same year in which he graduated from UCLA. While at UCLA Keflezighi received numerous All-American awards and other accolades. He won four NCAA championships during the 1996-97 season, including the cross-country title, the 10,000 meters outdoors and the 5000 meters indoors and outdoors titles in track. Keflezighi is a three-time national champion in cross country running, having won the USA Cross Country Championships in 2001, 2002 and 2009. In the 2004 Summer Olympics, Keflezighi finished second in the men's marathon, winning a silver medal in a personal season's best time of 2 hours, 11 minutes and 29 seconds. He finished 42 seconds ahead of Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima, who was leading the marathon, until he was pushed off the course by protester Cornelius Horan. This was the first medal won by an American man in the Olympic marathon since Frank Shorter won the gold in the 1972 Summer Olympics and took the silver medal in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

His fastest times for some standard distances are 3:42.29 for 1500 meters, set in 1998; 13:11.77 for 5000 meters, set in 2000; 27:13.98 for 10,000 meters, set in 2001 (an American record which stood until 2010); and 2:09:08 for the marathon, set in 2012 at the USA Olympic Trials 2012 (Houston). In 2007, Keflezighi suffered from dehydration and the following year, he broke his hip during the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon trials in Central Park. He finished in eighth place and did not qualify for the team. During the race, his friend and training partner Ryan Shay died of a heart attack. He won the 2009 New York City Marathon, setting a personal best of 2:09:15. Keflezighi was the first American to win the marathon since 1982.

On Oct. 11, 2010, he released his autobiography, "Run To Overcome," which was published by Tyndale House Publishers. The book, co-authored with noted sports writer Dick Patrick, included recollections about major milestones in his life, such as his Olympic competitions and other running highlights, as well as his early years, leading up to the present day. He is also the driving force behind the MEB Foundation, the "MEB" standing for "Maintaining Excellent Balance," which principally promotes healthy living, and other positive lifestyle choices and motivation for school-age youth.