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Former University of Colorado standout Jorge Torres, meanwhile, made his marathon debut a strong one.
The 29-year-old Boulder resident was seventh.
Torres, a 2008 Olympian in the 10,000-meter race, finished the marathon in 2:13:00.
Keflezighi pulled away from Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya in the 23rd mile to beat the four-time Boston Marathon champ by 41 seconds. His time of 2:09:15 was a personal best.
Morocco`s Jaouad Gharib finished third, and Ryan Hall, who won the trials in New York two years ago, was fourth. Defending champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil did not finish.
Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia was the women`s winner, capping a stunning comeback of her own on a day when a record field of nearly 44,000 started the 40th edition of this race. Two-time defending champion Paula Radcliffe fell back to fourth, hobbled by tendinitis behind her left knee.
Tulu is the oldest champion since 42-year-old Priscilla Welch in 1987 and the first Ethiopian woman to win in New York.
Keflezighi won silver at the 2004 Olympics, the first American man to medal since 1976. Sunday`s race proved how much depth the U.S. now boasts: With the event doubling as the national championship, six Americans finished in the top 10 for the first time since `79.
Eleven years ago, Keflezighi wrote a letter to Alberto Salazar, the last American man to win in New York. Salazar was working with Nike, and Keflezighi told him that for U.S. distance running to thrive, athletes needed the funding to allow them to train full-time.
That same year, Keflezighi became an American citizen. He was born in the East African nation of Eritrea, growing up in a hut with no electricity. Soldiers would surround his village, looking for boys 12 and older to drag off to war.
When he was 10, his family moved to Italy; two years later, they came to the United States. Keflezighi began running in junior high in San Diego, then went on to star at UCLA.
NYC Marathon
Men
1. Meb Keflezighi, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 2 hours, 9 minutes, 15 seconds. 2. Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:09:56. 3. Jaouad Gharib, Morocco, 2:10:25. 4. Ryan Hall, Mammoth Lakes, Calif., 2:10:36. 5. Abderrahime Bouramdane, Morocco, 2:12:14.
6. Hendrick Ramaala, South Africa, 2:12:31. 7. Jorge Torres, Boulder, Colo., 2:13:00. 8. Nick Arciniaga, Rochester Hills, Mich., 2:13:46. 9. Abdi Abdirahman, Tucson, Ariz., 2:14:00. 10. Jason Lehmkuhle, Minneapolis, 2:14:39.
11. Jackson Kotut Kipkoech, Kenya, 2:15:10. 12. Peter Gilmore, San Mateo, Calif., 2:15:22. 13. Migidio Bourifa, Italy, 2:16:01. 14. Mike Sayenko, Bellevue, Wash., 2:16:38. 15. Mike Reneau, Houlton, Wis., 2:16:45.
16. Jose Telles De Souza, Brazil, 2:17:28. 17. Allen Wagner, Huntington Valley, Pa., 2:17:49. 18. Max King, Bend, Ore., 2:19:11 19. Mohammed Awol, Ethiopia, 2:19:31. 20. Christopher Raabe, Washington, 2:19:49.
Women
1. Derartu Tulu, Ethiopia, 2:28:52. 2. Ludmila Petrova, Russia, 2:29:00. 3. Christelle Daunay, France, 2:29:16. 4. Paula Radcliffe, Britain, 2:29:27. 5. Salina Kosgei, Kenya, 2:31:53.
6. Magdalena Lewy Boulet, Oakland, Calif., 2:32:17. 7. Buzunesh Deba, Bronx, N.Y., 2:35:54. 8. Serkalem Biset Abrha, Santa Fe, N.M., 2:37:20. 9. Yuri Kano, Japan, 2:39:05. 10. Desiree Ficker, Austin, Texas, 2:39:30.
11. Catha Mullen, New York, 2:43:13. 12. Christine Ramsey, Baltimore, 2:44:37. 13. Heidi Westover, Acworth, N.H., 2:44:59. 14. Sopagna Eap, McKinleyville, Calif., 2:45:15. 15. Hirut Mandefro, Ethiopia, 2:47:03.
16. Therese Hagersjo, Sweden, 2:49:02. 17. Joan Samuelson, Freeport, Maine, 2:49:09. 18. Lisa Huetthaler, Austria, 2:49:33. 19. Michelle Ross Cope, Britain, 2:49:48. 20. Rebecca Yau, New York, 2:51:22.
