San Diego’s Meb Keflezighi, the first American man to win the Boston Marathon since 1983, wanted to share the Tuesday morning call he got from the White House, so he tweeted a photo of himself talking to President Barack Obama.
Keflezighi, 38, said in the tweet that of the many calls he’s received since he took the laurel wreath at the 118th Boston Marathon, this was a biggie:
“I have received many congratulatory calls, but I just received THE call from President @barackobama. #BostonStrong”
Keflezighi, who won a silver medal in the 2004 Olympic marathon, crossed the finish line at 2:08:37. He came to the United States as a refugee from Eritrea at 12, and grew up in San Diego. He attended Roosevelt Middle School and San Diego High School, where he ran track and won both the 1600 meters and 3200 meters at the CIF California State Championships in 1994.
In recognition of the rallying #BostonStrong movement that sprang up after last year’s bombing that killed three people and left so many runners with grave injuries, Keflezighi broke down in tears following the race and called his victory a win for the people.
You can follow Keflezighi on Twitter at @runmeb.