Meb Keflezighi of the United States crosses the finish line first in the men’s division at the 2009 New York City Marathon in New York, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009.(Seth Wenig/AP Photo)By Lynn ZinserPublished: November 1, 2009Of all the American contenders to try and break the 27-year men’s drought in the New York City Marathon, Meb Keflezghi may have represented the American dream more than any of them. Born in war-torn Eritrea, one of 11 siblings in a village with no electricity, Keflezighi now wears his American citizenship on his chest. He was the one American contender who wore the letters U.S.A. on his running top Sunday.And those letters crossed the finish line proudly and Keflezighi pointed to his jersey as the Central Park crowd roared, capturing the first American victory since Alberto Salazar last won it in 1982. Keflezighi tore away from Kenya’s Robert Cheruiyot as the two entered Central Park in a two-man race. He looked strong and kept pushing his lead in the final two miles, turning occasionally to make sure Cheruiyot, a five-time Boston Marathon winner, was not gaining on him.He was not. Kefliezighi won in 2 hours, 9.15 minutes with Cheruiyot finishing in 2:09.56. Jaouad Gharib of Morroco finished third and Ryan Hall, the promising young American, rebounded to finish fourth.Keflezighi doubled over to the ground after he crossed the line, crying.As many as four Americans had hung in the lead back for a long while.But as the race turned down Fifth Avenue with four miles to go, it was the oldest and most experienced of them, Keflezighi holding the last hopes. He battled Cheruiyot of Kenya stride for stride, as the battle for the marathon title had whittled to the two men.Cheruiyot a five-time winner of the Boston Marathon, is trying to win his first New York City Marathon. In his only previous race here, he finished fourth in 2005. Keflezighi, 34, has finished as high as second here (in 2004) but has never won a major marathon. He did, howev...