American trio seeks PBs in London

Thu Apr 23, 2009 By Dave Ungrady / Universal Sports - It’s been a few years since American Meb Keflezighi has run a marathon upon which he can reflect fondly.

Since finishing a respectable third in Boston in 2006 in 2:09:56, three seconds off his personal best in New York in 2004, injuries have stifled the Athens Olympic marathon silver medalist.

Keflezighi failed to run under 2:20 in New York later in 2006, did not finish London in 2007 and later that year finished eighth at the 2008 Olympic trials. The latter effort left Keflezighi lying on the ground sobbing heavily near the finish area.

In 2008, he did not run a marathon and competed in only three track events, including a 13th place finish in the 10,000m at the Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore.

“I’m so glad 2008 is over,” he said during a conference call Thursday from London. “The only beautiful thing that happened in 2008 is [the birth] my second daughter. Other than that, 2008 was a waste of time.”

After spending the second half of 2008 focusing on rehabilitating a hip injury that caused a number of problems in his lower extremities, a revived Keflezighi is ready to run a strong race Monday in London. It will be his first marathon since the Olympic Trials.

“I think I’m in pretty good shape,” he said. “I’ve not over trained going into this race.”

Along with Beijing Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein and U.S. half marathon champion Kate O’Neill, Keflezighi is one of three elite American runners entered to run in London on Monday.

All three are hoping to come home with personal bests.

Keflezighi has been boosted this year by wins at the U.S. half-marathon championships in January and the U.S. cross-country championships in February. Calf soreness, knee tendonitis and illness forced him to rest a couple weeks after the cross country title but he says he has enjoyed five weeks of good training, including long runs and intervals with his training partner Ryan Hall, a 2008 Olympic marathoner, in Mammoth Lakes, Ca. Hall finished third at the Boston Marathon on April 20.

Ritzenhein will run his fourth marathon on Monday, and for the first time on a fast course. In his debut marathon in New York in 2006 he finished 11th in 2:14:01. He was second on the hilly 2008 Olympic Trials course in 2:11:07 and endured hot temperatures at the Beijing Olympics, finishing 9th in 2:11:59.

“The Olympic trials and Beijing were hard conditions,” he said during the call. “I’m looking forward to London. I’ve focused a little more on speed in my training.”

Temperatures in the 50s Fahrenheit are expected Monday, promoting a more comfortable competitive environment should the projected drizzle hold off.

Both Keflezighi and Ritzenhein don’t expect to content for a podium finish but hope to finish in around 2:07:30. That would be an improvement on their personal bests by more than two minutes for Keflezighi and almost four minutes for Ritzenhein.

Race organizers have provided pace setters to help runners finish in about 2:07:00 along with another group ahead that will help the top runners to a possible finish around 2:04.

The two Americans may try to run together. “The goal is to get a fast time and if we can help each other that would be great,” said Keflezighi.

O’Neill, a 2004 Olympian in the 10,000 meters, has completed two Chicago Marathons, running a personal best 2:34:04 in 2008. Knee tendonitis slowed her at the Olympic marathon trials race last year, which she failed to finish, and forced her out of the Olympic track and field trials.

O’Neill does not expect to run with the leaders to the finish, but she hopes to run a personal best, perhaps as fast as a 2:26. She expects to run alone much of the race alone.

“When I committed to doing this race this fall, I’ve been doing all of my workouts by myself,” she said during the call. “Because of injuries, I’ve not been able to reach the goals I set after Chicago. But since the middle of January, I’ve had some uninterrupted training and have run more miles than I ever have.”