Forty eight year-old, Eritrea-born, USA-based Meb Keflezighi is special to Track and Field, based on achievement in athletics in particular the marathons and also his commitment to the community since 2010. The only runner to win an Olympic medal (2004), the New York City Marathon (2009) and the Boston Marathon (2014), Meb will be at the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2024, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race as an its Brand Ambassador, watching the athletes in action from a vantage point and inspiring the participants to give their best.

In his first-ever visit to India, after reaching Mumbai, Meb is amazed at the fervour for road running and the record breaking response from the participants (59,000 plus) for the 19^th edition of the TMM.

“The Mumbai Marathon has grown over the years, resulting in awareness about the benefits of running, besides bringing people together and that is the true legacy of a sporting event. Mumbai’s incredible energy and enthusiasm, combined with the dedication of its runners, embodies the universal language of endurance! I will only say this… remember to run with purpose, embrace the journey, and move ahead together. In every stride, find the strength to go the distance and make a difference to what you believe in, " said the American about the growth of the marathon as a movement in the US, rising to icon status on the strength of marathon highs in New York and Boston, becoming the first American since 1982 to win the former and since 1985 to win the latter. 

The 2004 Athens Olympics silver medallist further added “We have a lot of fast runners in the race, in both men and women. I feel excited to be able to enjoy it from behind the camera.”

Meb who is admired for longevity in marathon running, for which he credited the gradual move up the distances from track to the road. The fact which is substantiated by the fact that he finished among the top 10 in in the New York Marathon, eight times. In addition it was at the grand age of 39, he won the Boston Marathon (2:08:37) way back in 2014 and became the oldest winner to do so and followed it up with a TCS New York City Marathon masters event record of 2:13:32 in the next year. Meb infact is the master of all surfaces -Road, Track, and Cross Country and a former USA National 10,000m track record holder.

“My body was ready for the workload, moving from 5k to 10k to the marathon. I did not rush into anything when coming back from injury,” he added with a broad smile.

Sharing his thoughts on his best wins over a long career in road running, Meb rated the 2014 Boston Marathon win as a memory that fills him with joy, said “The reason was because of the attack a year ago (terrorist attack a few meters from the finish at Boston 2013), so the people coming back after the horrifying incident made it special for us runners and the people.”

Responding to queries from the hordes of runners at TMM, those doing the marathon and half marathon, he counseled them for patience. “Be patient, I mean the last mile can be your fastest. IT can be achieved by visualizing yourself so that the exhausted body can be willed to cross the line.” 

He runs a non-profit organization, named ‘The MEB Foundation’ that focuses on giving back to the community, by improving youth health, education, and fitness across the globe. The Foundation supports programs that empower youth and their families to “Maintain Excellent Balance”, provide the tools and resources to lead healthy lifestyles, engage youth in academics and provide opportunities for youth to play and learn positive life skills through involvement in sports.