Are Two Marathons In Two Months Too Many?
- By Duncan Larkin
- Published Oct. 19, 2011
- Updated Feb. 22, 2013 at 11:06 AM UTC
Meb Keflezighi doesn’t think so.
Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi is happy with his plan to race two marathons in two months. Photo: PhotoRun.net
Most pros take a reasonable break between marathon efforts.
So what’s “reasonable”?
It depends who you ask.
Photo Gallery: Looking Back At Meb Keflezighi’s 2009 New York City Marathon Victory
For Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi, this break is only two months. Seventy days after he won his Olympic silver in Athens in 2004, Meb went on to place second overall at the ING New York City Marathon. This kind of racing schedule is rare for pros.
Next month, Keflezighi will attempt to repeat this feat. His first marathon of the year is the ING New York City Marathon on November 6. Ten weeks later, Meb will toe the line at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, Texas.
To critics of this aggressive schedule, Meb shrugs his shoulders.
“I’m older, hopefully wiser,” he said. “I don’t see anything wrong with trying it.”
Many American professionals with Olympic dreams, runners like Ryan Hall, have been forced to forgo the New York City Marathon due to its close proximity to the Trials. Hall went on to race the Bank of America Chicago Marathon instead, where he placed fifth.
For More: The New York Times
FILED UNDER: New York City Marathon / News TAGS: Athens Olympics / ING New York City Marathon / Meb Keflezighi / Olympic Marathon / Recovery / Ryan Hall / Silver Medal / U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials
Duncan Larkin
Duncan Larkin is the news editor at Competitor.com and a freelance journalist who’s been covering the sport of running for over five years. He’s run 2:32 in the marathon and won the Himalayan 100-Mile Stage Race in 2007. His first running book, RUN SIMPLE, was released last July.