Skechers' star athlete, Meb Keflezighi on Monday won the Boston Marathon. Wearing the new Skechers GOmeb Speed 3 shoes, Keflezighi broke his personal record with a time of 2:08:37, and is the first American male to win the Boston Marathon since Greg Meyer in 1983, and the first American since 1985.
“A year ago I decided I wanted to win the 2014 Boston Marathon for the people of Boston and for the U.S.,” said Keflezighi, 38. “When the Red Sox put the World Series trophy at the Boston Marathon finish line during the victory parade last year, I was inspired more than ever to come back and win. With the support of the Skechers Performance Division by my side every step of the way, today I have won for the city of Boston, and for the entire U.S.”
“This is a very significant win for both Meb and the Skechers Performance Division, but also, and more importantly, for Boston and America,” said Rick Higgins, Vice President of Merchandising & Marketing for the Skechers Performance Division. “We are so proud of Meb and his monumental accomplishment on what was clearly a very emotional day. We could not think of a better Skechers Performance brand ambassador than Meb.”
The victory added to a resume that already includes a win at the 2009 New York City Marathon (ending a 27-year U.S. champion drought in that race) and a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic marathon.
The Skechers Performance Division first signed Keflezighi in 2011 to represent the Skechers Performance Division as it launched its GOrun line. He previously ran for Nike. Since joining Skechers, Keflezighi has won more than five key races, including the U.S. Half Marathon Championship in Houston in January 2014, and the U.S. Olympic Trials in Houston in 2012. This past fall, Keflezighi extended his contract with the Skechers Performance Division through 2016.
Skechers' website today featured a banner-width, black-and-white photo of the runner with the tagline “Congratulations, Meb!”
The new GOmeb Speed 3 will be available in fall 2014.
