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Meb Keflezighi

Meb Keflezighi becomes VP of running for Competitor Group Inc.

Kelly Whiteside
USA TODAY Sports
Meb Keflezighi, the Boston Marathon winner, will now be perched behind a desk.

Meb Keflezighi's family left the African nation of Eritrea to escape poverty and a violent war with Ethiopia and settled in San Diego when he was 12, and Meb knew no English.

His father would wake the children up at 4:30 a.m., before school, and they learned English by studying the dictionary. Growing up in the USA was a unique opportunity his parents and cousins didn't have, his father, Russom, said. "So don't waste it. Work hard and make us proud."

Russom had several jobs, one as a janitor cleaning banks. He would sweep and mop the bathroom floors and wipe the windows and the desks. "You have a choice," he told his son. "You can get your education and have an office and work from 8to 5, like most people do in these offices, or you can do what I'm doing."

Keflezighi did get his education — he graduated from UCLA — and has become one of the top U.S. distance runners in history. He is an Olympic medalist and winner of the New York and Boston marathons, so there was never a need for an office. Until now.

On Monday, Keflezighi will add a new title to his résumé: vice president of running for San Diego-based company Competitor Group Inc., which owns and operates the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series.

"My dream has been realized," the 2014 Boston Marathon winner told USA TODAY Sports. "Boston was the capping. Now I want to inspire others to get the best out of themselves, inspire others just getting started. I feel honored to have the role of VP of running. It's a huge honor. I am so excited to have an office more so than anything."

In his position, Keflezighi will play a key role working with event managers for Rock 'n' Roll races, developing training content and appearing and competing at events. He still will compete professionally. He said he will run a few more marathons with the goal of making his fourth Olympic team. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, he will be 41.

On April 21, Keflezighi became the first U.S. man since 1983 to win the Boston Marathon. It was one of the most memorable victories in the Boston Marathon's 118-year history because it came when the city needed it the most.

A year after the terrorist bombings — running in front of those gravely wounded in the attacks and wearing the names of the four victims on the corners of his racing bib — Keflezighi raised his arms in victory as he crossed the finish line at 2:08:37. He looked up to the sky, then kissed the ground three times. He took a bow and emotion won out as he put his hands over his face and broke into tears.

"I went out so hard because whether I won or not, I planned to give my best. I gave everything I had; that's why I couldn't walk for two weeks after," he said with a laugh. "I felt that there was a greater cause, and my dream was to win the Boston Marathon. I'm so proud to win, with the victims' names on my bib. It was an amazing, amazing experience."

Keflezighi lives with his wife and three daughters in San Diego, so the commute to the office will be a breeze. His parents still live in the city as well. Sometime in the next two weeks, he will escort his father on a visit to Competitor Group, Inc.'s headquarters. He will give him a tour, then show him his office.

"He knows about the job, but hasn't seen the office. I want to experience that moment with him," he said.

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