U.S. Olympian Meb Keflezighi will return to his hometown streets of San Diego to run the Suja Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 31. The race has been selected to host the USATF Masters Half Marathon National Championships and Meb will make his masters debut at the event. He previously won the half-marathon in 2011 and 2012.
Keflezighi, the former New York City and Boston Marathon champion, plus the 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist, turned 40 on May 5. With excellent weather conditions, solid competition, plus history on its side, it figures the race will yield fast times for the elite masters. In 2013 the event produced the fastest half-marathon ever on U.S. soil when Kenya’s Bernard Koech won in 58 minutes, 41 seconds.
“I was debating whether I should pace the Suja Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon like I did last year or race it,” says Keflezighi, who finished eighth at the Boston Marathon last month in 2 hours, 12 minutes, 42 seconds. “Since my recovery from the Boston Marathon has gone well, I’ve decided to race. I am looking forward to my first competition as a masters athlete and know I am very fortunate to run my first masters race in my hometown of San Diego.”
Keflezighi has cemented himself as one of the most accomplished distance runners in U.S. history. Among his accolades, the San Diego High School graduate was a 12-time All-American at UCLA, won 22 U.S. national championships and earned a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Most notably, he won the 2014 Boston Marathon, becoming the first American man to win the historic running event since 1983.
For the first time in 2015, marathon weekend in San Diego will include two days of running with the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll 5k taking place on Saturday morning, May 30. Runners who participated in Saturday’s 5K along with Sunday’s marathon, half-marathon or relay will receive a medal for each race, plus the coveted Remix Challenge medal, earning three-medals for two-races.
Marathon weekend will kick off on Friday, May 29 with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the San Diego Convention Center. The Expo, which is free and open to the public, takes place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 30.
Both the marathon and half-marathon take place on Sunday, beginning on the west side of Balboa Park. The marathon begins at 6:15 a.m. and the half-marathon starts at 6:50 a.m. The race route incorporates a scenic tour of San Diego’s neighborhood charm, passing through Little Italy, Old Town, University Heights and Normal Heights, before ending at Petco Park at 13th and K Street, with a finish line festival. The weekend experience concludes the Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series inside the stadium headlined by rock band O.A.R.
In addition to O.A.R.’s performance, runners will also enjoy the sounds of local live bands playing along the course as motivation and entertainment, along with cheerleaders and thousands of encouraging spectators. For more information or to register for the event, visit RunRocknRoll.com and follow the event on Twitter @RunRocknRoll.
