Meb Keflezighi of San Diego came up short Monday in his bid for a second straight Boston Marathon victory, while a former Chula Vista resident posted a strong finish on the women's side.
While Keflezighi, 39, joined fellow American Dathan Ritzenhein to lead the pack through the middle of the race, they fell back late and finished eighth and seventh, respectively.
On the women's side, Desiree Linden, who grew up in Chula Vista, finished fourth. Linden, whose maiden name is Davila, was a champion runner at Hilltop High School and now lives with her husband in Michigan. She placed second in the 2011 race.
Keflezighi, who attended San Diego High, made a splash at the finish line by grabbing and raising the hand of women's runner Hilary Dionne. The Boston resident later tweeted: "Not my best time, but by far my most memorable finish. Thanks amazing @runmeb for joining me across the line, an unforgettable moment!"
Keflezighi electrified the sports world last year by winning the event in the year following the bombings at the finish line that killed three and wounded 264 others.
This year's edition was won by Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia, with a time of 2:09:17. The top women's finisher was Caroline Rotich of Kenya in 2:24:55.
