American Meb Keflezighi has won the Boston Marathon, a year after a bombing at the finish line left three dead and more than 260 people injured.

Keflezighi is a former New York City Marathon champion and Olympic medalist. He ran the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to the finish on Boylston Street in Boston's Back Bay on Monday in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 37 seconds.

Keflezighi held off Wilson Chebet of Kenya who finished 11 seconds behind. The 38-year-old from San Diego looked over his shoulder several times over the final mile. After realizing he wouldn't be caught, he raised his sunglasses, began pumping his right fist and made the sign of the cross.

No U.S. runner had won the race since Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach took the women's title in 1985; the last American man to win was Greg Meyer in 1983.

In the women’s division, Rita Jeptoo of Kenya successfully defended the Boston Marathon title she said she could not enjoy a year ago after the fatal bombings.

Jeptoo finished Monday's race in a course-record 2 hours, 18 minutes, 57 seconds. She becomes the seventh three-time Boston Marathon champion.

Jeptoo broke away from a group of five runners at the 23-mile mark. Buzunesh Deba finished second with an unofficial time of 2:19:59.

American Shalane Flanagan finished fifth after leading for more than half the race. She took a gamble by setting the early pace. She ran her first mile in 5 minutes, 11 seconds, but fell back on the Newton Hills about 21 miles into the race.

Tatyana McFadden of the University of Illinois has won the women's wheelchair race at the Boston Marathon for the second straight year.

McFadden celebrated her 25th birthday Monday and listened as "The Star-Spangled Banner" played on Boylston Street one year after the bombings that left three dead and more than 260 injured.

She crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 35 minutes, 6 seconds.

McFadden was born in Russia and lived in an orphanage as a child. She also won the 2013 New York City Marathon women's wheelchair race after taking the titles in Boston, London and Chicago last year.

No other athlete has won those four races in the same year.

Ernst van Dyk of South Africa has won the men's wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon for a record 10th time.

The 41-year-old crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 20 minutes, 36 seconds.

Van Dyk holds the record for most all-categories Boston Marathon wins. This was his first win at this race since 2010.

Van Dyk finished 38 seconds ahead of two Japanese racers. Kota Hokinoue finished less than a wheel length ahead of Masazumi Soejima, with both recording a time of 1:21:14.

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