DERWOOD, Md. – Physically revived and politically refreshed, Meb Keflezighi won his third USA cross-country title Saturday, holding off a frenetic dash to the finish by newcomer Tim Nelson in the 12K race at the Agricultural History Farm Park near Washington, D.C.

Keflezighi, the marathon silver medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, praised higher powers for his victory.

“Thank God because a year ago I couldn’t walk,” he said, recovering his breath in the finish area minutes after winning the race. “God gave me a miracle. And I wanted to dedicate this to (President) Obama. He’s our president. A lot of people put him way down but I think he can turn our country around.”

A year ago at this time, the 33-year-old Keflezighi was mired in spell of injuries and frustration. A favorite to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team in the marathon, he finished eighth at the trials in November 2007.

Keflezighi, born in Eritrea and living now in Mammoth Lakes, Ca., won the U.S. cross country championships in 2001 and 2002 and was second in 2003. After winning silver in the marathon at the Athens Games in 2:11:29, 93 seconds slower than his personal best, he finished second in the 10,000 meters at the 2005 and 2006 U.S. outdoor championships.

Keflezighi’s body started to struggle in 2007. An Achilles tendon injury forced him to drop out of the London Marathon. While running with the leaders at the 16-mile mark of Olympic trials marathon, he felt a calf strain. Favoring the calf forced a pelvis injury, and he struggled home in 2:15:09, collapsing in tears at the finish area.

Keflezighi missed the 2008 U.S. cross-country championships in San Diego due to lingering injuries. Despite preparing well for the 10,000 meters at the 2008 U.S. Olympic track and field trials, he became ill at the meet and finished 13th. He ran just two more races on the track through early September.

An intense rehabilitation process with a sports physiologist at the USOC training center in Colorado Springs, Co. from Sept. 25 to Nov. 25 to fix a muscle imbalance in his hip and left leg helped Keflizighi regain his fitness.

“It’s been a long process back,” he said Friday at a pre-race press conference. “I couldn’t walk from room to room. Colorado Springs was supposed to be two weeks, but I stayed for two months. It was a full time job from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. I’m glad it’s behind me.”

Keflezighi’s competitive turnaround began at the U.S. Half Marathon Championships on Jan. 18, when he won his first title in a personal best 61:25.

Buoyed by a healthy body, Keflezighi entered today’s race with a high level of confidence. He led the race from the beginning and consistently stayed ahead of the chase pack from 7 to 10 seconds, completing 6 laps of the 2K course in 36:06. Keflezigihi won with a last-second surge at the finish line just ahead of Nelson, 23, who closed hard coming up a 300-meter incline straightaway off the last turn. Kefkezighi and Nelson shared the top time.

“When I rounded the turn I thought I had enough gas,” said Keflezighi. “I saw a Nike guy (Nelson) and saw it was not Jorge (Torres). Then I saw it was Tim. I didn’t want to come to the finish like that. I had some left, I felt good going up that hill.”

Torres, the USA cross-country runner up in 2005 and 2008, finished fourth. Robert Curtis (3rd), Ed Moran (5th) and Ryan Vail (6th) qualified to compete for the United States at the 2009 world cross-country championships on March 28 in Aman, Jordan.

Keflizighi said after the race that he will likely skip the world championships to focus on the London Marathon in late April and will make a decision by Wednesday. Brett Gotcher, who finished 7th, would replace Keflizighi.

Inspired in part by Obama’s presidential victory, Keflizighi admits he has experienced an increased level of hope in his career.

“His whole thing is hope,” Keflizighi said. “I thought about retiring at times, especially after (the Olympic trials marathon). You go through nagging injuries. You wonder if this is a way to make money. You’ve got to hope for the best.”

In the women’s 8K race, Emily Brown also led from start to finish and won her first U.S. cross-country title in 26:58.

“I’m starting to like the longer distance a little more because you don’t have to push yourself to running fast extremes,” she said.  “I’m happy I didn’t completely fall apart on the last loop and was able to finish in one piece.”

Brown, from Minnesota, finished third at the 2008 U.S. cross country championships and was the top American female finisher at the 2008 world championships in 18th place.

Julie Culley, Katherine Newberry, Delilah Dicrescenzo, Rebecca Donaghue and Samia Akbar finished second through sixth and qualified for the U.S. team at the world championships.