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2014 Boston Marathon Champion Runs Race For Team MR8

BOSTON (CBS) -- Meb Keflezighi, a former Boston Marathon champion, returned to the city for this year's race but he was not focused on his time.

Keflezighi retired from competitive racing following last year's New York City Marathon. He ran in the 2018 Boston Marathon to support Team MR8, which runs for the Martin Richard Foundation.

"I ran wave two because of the charity work that I'm doing for MR8, Martin Richard Foundation and the rest of the others," Keflezighi told WBZ-TV.

The Martin Richard Foundation honors 8-year-old Martin Richard who was the youngest victim of the Boston Marathon bombing. Keflezighi became an important figure in Boston history when he won the marathon in 2014, the year following the bombing.

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Meb Keflezighi stops to talk with WBZ-TV's Steve Burton (WBZ-TV)

"It's great to be here for Martin Richard and the others that can't be alive. We had tough conditions today, but we appreciate life," said Keflezighi.

He finished with a time of 03:00:13.

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Meb Keflezighi talks to Paul Burton after the 2018 Boston Marathon. (Photo credit RYAN MCBRIDE/AFP/Getty Images)

Monday's bleak weather made it the worst conditions Keflezighi has ever run in. "You can't avoid the puddles and it's windy and it's cold," he said. "Hey, tough day, but we got to the finish line."

Then he added, "Boston Strong 2014 and 2013, and Boston Strong today."

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