RIO DE JANEIRO -- A marathon is not easy. The 26.2-mile race is based on the Greek messenger Pheidippides, who ran that approximate distance to deliver news of the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. According to legend, he collapsed and died at the end.The Brazilian version was grueling in its own right.

RIO DE JANEIRO -- A marathon is not easy. The 26.2-mile race is based on the Greek messenger Pheidippides, who ran that approximate distance to deliver news of the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. According to legend, he collapsed and died at the end.The Brazilian version was grueling in its own right. Fifteen of the 155 runners did not finish the race, including Great Britains Tsegai Tewelde, who had to be taken away in a wheelchair.American Meb Keflezighi suffered stomach cramps and had to stop seven times. He threw up on a couple occasions. Nonetheless, he was able to complete the race in under 2 hours and 17 minutes to finish 33rd -- and in spectacular fashion. Waving to the crowd, he slipped on the wet track and crashed to the ground about a foot or so from the finish line. He pulled himself across the line, and then did a set of pushups.Yes, he finished his race by doing pushups.Thats the Meb way of doing things, U.S. teammate Jared Ward said.I guess Ill be known for the epic finish there, Keflezighi said. Somehow it just happened. I saw the finish line and I said Im going to crawl in and then Im going to do pushups.Keflezighi is 41 years old and won the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He broke his hip during the 2008 Olympic trials but recovered to win the 2009 New York marathon and the 2014 Boston marathon. He finished fourth at the London Olympics. He estimates that when you add up all the miles he has run during training, it is equivalent to circling the globe four times.This sport has done more for me than I can ever imagine, he said.Keflezighi has run 24 marathons and plans to run two more to reach 26 as a fitting connection to the marathon length. U.S. teammate Galen Rupp, meanwhile, ran just the second marathon of his life, yet he finished third to take home a bronze medal, Americas first medal in the event since Keflezighis silver. His first marathon was last February when he won the U.S. Olympic trials in Los Angeles.I was definitely hurting. The last couple miles was like I was walking, Rupp said. I just wanted to keep on going and get to the finish line. The marathon is a real special event, and I dont think I really truly understood that until I started doing it in L.A. and now here. Its something special.The 10K has always been my baby for the last 10 years. Its always held a special place for me, but Ive got to move on to the marathon.What marathoners do is incredible. The best ones average less than five minutes a mile, a speed that few of us could even come close to matching over just one mile, let alone 26.The marathon has been part of the Olympics since the first modern Games in 1896. One of the most noted winners was Ethiopias Adebe Bikila, who won the gold medal in 1960 while running barefoot because the shoes Adidas provided him didnt fit.Fellow Ethiopian Feyisa Lilesa won the silver medal Sunday -- finishing behind Kenyan gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge, whose time was 2:08.44 - and afterward he spoke about the difficulties in his native country, where many hundreds of people have been killed in recent months while protesting for political and economic rights.There are many problems in my country, Lilesa said. Its very dangerous in my country.Lilesa said he would consider moving to another country. If so, he has many from which to choose to represent at the 2020 Olympics. Nearly 80 countries were represented in the marathon, including Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Lesotho, Iran, Israel, Hungary and so many others.This was the best victory lap ever in terms of the world, Keflezighi said. You could see India, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Cuba and all those guys. And to run with that, I enjoyed every bit of it.Cambodias Kuniaki Takizaki and Jordans Methkal Abu Drais were the final two finishers Sunday. As they entered the stadium, Takizaki was grimacing in agony while Abu Drais was smiling that it was almost over. Takizaki pushed himself and crossed the line ahead of Abu Drais so he did not finish last, with a time of 2:45.55. And despite the pain he had been in, Takizaki immediately started jumping and dancing and waving his arms to get the small crowd to cheer with a huge grin across his face.I was very, very tired, Takizaki said. But very, very, very happy.The Olympics arent just about finishing on the podium. They are about finishing, period. Cheap Jerseys . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mooseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods. China Jerseys 2021 . Tuesdays surgery at Atlantas Piedmont Hospital was performed by Dr. Xavier Duralde and Hawks team physician Dr. Michael Bernot. https://www.chinasjerseys.com/ . Louis Blues. Shane Hnidy joins Brian Munz for the broadcast on TSN 1290 Radio at 7pm ct. Nike China Jerseys . -- The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 tie Saturday night that left the top of the Western Conference standings unchanged. China Jerseys Cheap . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. Seven former event winners and a quintet of major tournament champions will be among the 130 golfers in the field this week when the PGA Tour heads to the Magnolia State for the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Miss.The event, which is held at at Country Club of Jackson, is the fourth tournament in the PGA Tours wraparound schedule that bridges two years with 43 events as part of the 2016-17 PGA Tour Season.Last year, Peter Malnati shot a final round 5-under-par 67 to rally past a crowded leaderboard, finish at 18-under and win his first PGA Tour event while beating William McGirt and David Toms by one stroke. He was one shot behind going into the final round, but closed with five birdies over his last 12 holes.The rain-soaked tournament was forced to complete play on Monday. This year, the forecast is for warm and dry weather, which will create a different test and, likely, lower scores. Eleven of the past 15 Sanderson Farms Championships have been decided by either one stroke or in a playoff.The event (formerly called the Viking Classic, the True South Classic and the Southern Farm Bureau Classic, et al.) moved to the Country Club of Jackson in 2014 after being contested for 19 years at Annandale Country Club in Madison, Miss.In his win in 2015, Malnati blitzed the rain-softened putting surfaces by making the most feet of putts in any Tour event last season (495 feet, 7 inches over the four days) and the most putts of more than 10 feet in any tournament in 2015-16 (16). He outperformed the rest of the Sanderson Farms Championship field by plus-2.943 strokes per round.Ive heard that the rough will be thicker and longer this year and if tthe fairways are firm that will create a fun challenge, Malnati said.ddddddddddddIm looking forward to that. This course has some of the best greens we putt on Tour.Patton Kizzire, who is also in the field, finished fourth here last year and is familiar with the course from his days playing at Auburn.Im excited about the weather this week, Kizzire said. Last year the weather was rough, but the course handled it well. The course is fun to play. Itll be a little different year, but I like the Country Club of Jackson.Kizzire ended up playing in three of the four majors, making the cut at the British Open and PGA Championship. He made the cut in 20 of his 27 events last season.You have to understand its a long year and keep doing you and see if you can do you better than anyone else, Kizzire said. If you play your own game and youre not really worrying about what everyone else is doing, you can stay patient.Other previous Sanderson Farms Championship winners in this years field are Nick Taylor (2014), Scott Stallings (2012), Chris Kirk (2011), Will MacKenzie (2008), D.J. Trahan (2006) and Heath Slocum (2005).The fields major championship winners are Lucas Glover (2009 U.S. Open), Geoff Ogilvy (2006 U.S. Open), David Toms (2001 PGA Championship), Retief Goosen (2001, 2004 U.S. Open) and Angel Cabrera (2007 U.S. Open, 2009 Masters).There are also five players in the field that are already in the top 30 in this years FedExCup standings: Kizzire (3), Cody Gribble (17), Chris Kirk (17), Mackenzie Hughes (28) and Whee Kim (28). ' ' '