American Meb Keflezighi wins Boston Marathon

American Meb Keflezighi won the Boston Marathon on Monday, a year after a bombing at the finish line killed three people and left more than 260 others injured. The last U.S. runner to win the race was Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach, who took the women's title in 1985.

Running just two weeks before his 39th birthday, Keflezighi had the names of the 2013 bombing victims written on his marathon bib. Thousands of runners helped raise money for the One Fund established to help the bombing victims.

"At the end, I just kept thinking, 'Boston Strong. Boston Strong,'" he said. "I was thinking 'Give everything you have. If you get beat, that's it.'"

Keflezighi completed the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to the finish on Boylston Street in Boston's Back Bay in a personal-best of 2 hours, 8 minutes, 37 seconds. He held off Kenya's Wilson Chebet, who finished 11 seconds behind. He broke into tears after crossing the finish line, and then draped himself in the American flag.

The last American man to win the internationally acclaimed race was Greg Meyer in 1983.

Rita Jeptoo of Kenya successfully defended the women's title she said she could not enjoy a year ago. Jeptoo finished in a course-record 2 hours, 18 minutes, 57 seconds. She is a three-time Boston Marathon champion, having also won in 2006.

"I came here to support the people in Boston and show them that we are here together," she said.

Jeptoo broke away from a group of five runners at the 23-mile mark. Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia finished second in 2:19:59. Countrywoman Mare Dibaba was third at 2:19:52. All three women came in under the previous course record.

American Shalane Flanagan, who went to high school in nearby Marblehead, finished seventh after leading for more than half the race. She gambled by setting the early pace, but fell back on the Newton Hills about 21 miles into the competition.

"It does mean a lot to me that my city was proud of me," she said. "I'm proud of how I ran."

Another American, Tatyana McFadden, celebrated her 25th birthday Monday by winning the women's wheelchair race for the second straight year. She was timed in in 1 hour, 35 minutes, 6 seconds.

McFadden was born in Russia and lived in an orphanage as a child before becoming a star athlete at the University of Illinois. She also won the 2013 NYC Marathon women's wheelchair race after taking the titles in Boston, London and Chicago last year.

Ernst van Dyk of South Africa won the men's wheelchair division for a record 10th time. The 41-year-old crossed in 1 hour, 20 minutes, 36 seconds.

Marathon officials said 35,755 runners registered for the race, with 32,408 unofficial starters. The field included just less than 5,000 runners who were not able to finish last year and accepted invitations to return this year.

Teams of runners took part in the marathon in memory of each of the three people killed in the bombing, along with MIT Officer Sean Collier, who was slain days later during the manhunt for the suspects. Many runners raised money for the One Fund to support the victims' families and those who were injured in the attack. 

Jeff Bauman, who lost his legs in the bombing, stood in the stands just past the finish line with his fiancée, Erin Hurley, and fellow amputee Adrianne Haslet-Davis. They were applauding runners as they crossed. Bauman was wearing his prosthetics and had the help of two crutches. The group sat a few feet away from Carlos Arredondo, who helped save his life. It was the first time Bauman had returned to the finish line area since the attacks.

"It feels great" to be back, he said. "I feel very safe."

Newlyweds who each lost a leg in last year's bombing completed the marathon together this year, riding handcycles. Patrick Downes and Jessica Kensky were newly married last year when they went to the marathon finish line to watch the runners cross. They suffered severe injuries; each lost a left leg.

On Monday, they rode side by side in the handcycle race, completing the course from Hopkinton to Boston in about 2 hours and 14 minutes. Both smiled as they rolled across the finish line, holding hands.

The Boston Public Health Commission has a drop-in counseling center available near Copley Square until 8 p.m. for anyone having trouble coping. Boston-area hospitals have been offering free mental health services ever since the bombings.

Jennifer Lawrence, a social worker at Boston Medical Center, said that in the aftermath of the bombings, more than 600 people used mental health services there. And while most needed no help after the first few months, she saw an increase in demand as the anniversary approached.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press