US marathon trials champ runs into coyotes

BOSTON (AP) - Marathoner Meb Keflezighi can run pretty fast.

But he knows he can't outrun a pack of coyotes.

A week after winning the U.S. Olympic marathon trials in Houston to earn a spot in on the American team in London, Keflezighi was out on a training run in San Diego when he spied four coyotes.

They were spying him, too.

"I just pretended there was somebody with me,'' Keflezighi said. "I talked to him really loudly and whistled.''

Keflezighi was in town to talk to and run with employees of John Hancock, the insurance and financial services company that is a Boston Marathon sponsor.

"We have policies that can cover something like that,'' said Rob Friedman, the head of the sports marketing division, gesturing to the crowd of John Hancock employees in the auditorium. "I'm sure a lot of these people would be willing to talk to you about it.''

Keflezighi won the 2009 New York Marathon and won a silver medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004. He made the visit with Ryan Hall, who finished second at trials, and 1982 Boston champion Alberto Salazar.