The first American man to win the Boston Marathon started since 1983 crossed the finish line Monday, won in the dream race that has become a national symbol of pride & prestige.
According to the Boston Marathon ‘s page on  Facebook  Meb Keflezighi, 38, won the men’s division with an official time of 2:08:37,
The women’s elite group began the 26.2-mile journey around 9:30 a.m. ET, and the elite men’s group at 10. Waves of other runners started after them.
For Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo, 33, it was a second consecutive victory. She again won the women’s division with record — time of 2:18:57, according to the event’s official  account on twitter .
But for most of the 36,000 runners, the race had nothing to do with competition. The 2013 race was a complete chaos by bombings near the end of the course that killed three people and wounded more than 260.
At the start Monday, as competitors stood shoulder to shoulder, the race announcer shouted to them, “Take back that finish line!”
Krystle Campbell, 29; Lu Lingzi, 23; and grade-schooler Martin Richard, 8, were killed in the 2013 bombing. Some of the wounded lost limbs.
A year later, survivors were motivated and dint back off .
A survivor, Marc Fucarile, also lost his right leg. He’s undergone numerous surgeries, but shrapnel is still lodged in the inner wall of his heart. If it moves, he could die.
On Tuesday, April 15, a moment of silence was observed at the finish line on the one-year anniversary of the bombings. Church bells rang and a flag was raised as a steady rain fell. The mantra “Boston Strong” was heard loud and clear.
This year’s race has 9,000 more runners than last year’s, and an unprecedented crowd was expected to gather, officials said.
Security was  very tight. Backpacks were not allowed on the course this year. Costumes that cover the face, containers with more than 1 liter of liquid and bulky clothes such as vests with pockets were also prohibited.
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