Keflezighi, Hall, Kastor still on the run
UCLA alumnus Meb Keflezighi, the Athens Olympic marathon silver medalist, isn't getting older -- he's getting better.
Keflezighi, 34, was named USA Track and Field's athlete of the week for setting an American record in the men's 20 kilometers en route to winning the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in San Jose on Sunday.
A 19-time U.S. champion, he registered a 20-km split of 57 minutes 52 seconds, which broke the record of 57:54 that Big Bear native Ryan Hall had set in 2006. Keflezighi won the half-marathon in 1 hour 1 minute, cutting his personal-best time by 25 seconds. It was the third-fastest half-marathon time for an American.
Keflezighi and Hall, who train in Mammoth Lakes, will run the New York City marathon on Nov. 1.
One of their training mates, Athens women's marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor, is scheduled to run the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. Kastor dropped out of the Beijing Olympic marathon after she felt a pop in her right foot -- and it turned out to be a broken bone. She's on something of a comeback mission at 36.
-- Helene Elliott
Photo: Meb Keflezighi. Credit: Gregory Bull / Associated Press
