And the Last U.S. Winner was...
Is Boston next to end a U.S. winless streak?

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By Ryan Lamppa, Running USA wire
Posted Monday, 9 November, 2009

With 2004 Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi (left, NYRR) ending the 27-year U.S. winless drought at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1, 2009, now is a good time to look at the last U.S. winner at the top marathons. The following lists the last U.S. runner (male and female) to win a respective U.S. marathon plus the Olympic and World Championship Marathons.

For the men, their longest streak from the winner's circle is Honolulu and Boston (David Gordon in 1982 and Greg Meyer in 1983) and for the women, New York City (Miki Gorman in 1977); note, however, the U.S. marathon winners in 2009.

The last U.S. winner at the following marathons:

EVENT
Olympics
Frank Shorter (2:12:20), 1972 Munich
Joan Benoit (2:24:52), 1984 Los Angeles

World Championships
Mark Plaatjes (2:13:57), 1993 Stuttgart
no one yet (Marianne Dickerson, silver, 1983 Helsinki)

Boston
Greg Meyer (2:09:00), 1983
Lisa Weidenbach (2:34:06), 1985

New York City
Meb Keflezighi (2:09:15), 2009
Miki Gorman (2:43:10), 1977

Chicago
Khalid Khannouchi (2:05:56), 2002
Deena Kastor (2:21:25), 2005

Los Angeles
Paul Pilkington (2:12:13), 1994
Olga Appell (2:28:12), 1994

Houston
Sean Wade (2:24:43), 2003 (reduced prize money)
Paul Pilkington (2:11:13), 1990
Kelly Keane (2:32:27), 2005

Twin Cities
Jason Hartmann (2:12:09), 2009
Ilsa Paulson (2:31:49), 2009

Grandma's
Christopher Raabe (2:15:13), 2009
Mary Akor (2:36:52), 2009

Honolulu
David Gordon (2:15:30), 1982
Cyndie Welte (2:41:52), 1988

California International
Joe LeMay (2:13:55), 1999
Kristin Schwartz (2:38:16), 2000