HOUSTON – Meb Keflezighi made some history at the U.S. Olympic marathon trials.

The Eritrea-born Keflezighi won Saturday’s race in a personal-best time of 2 hours, 9 minutes and 8 seconds to qualify for his third games. At 36, Keflezighi is the oldest winner of the trials.

A spectator handed Keflezighi an American flag in the final mile, and he waved it and pumped his fist to the cheering crowd as he approached the finish line.

“It was just a magical moment,” Keflezighi said.

Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman finished second and third, also earning spots on the team that will represent the U.S. at the London Games.

Shalane Flanagan won the women’s competition in an event-record time of 2:25.38. Running in only her second marathon, the 30-year-old Flanagan shaved more than three minutes off her previous personal best, set in her runner-up finish in New York in 2010.

“That’s encouraging,” said Flanagan, a bronze medalist in the 10,000 meters in Beijing. “I knew I was capable of something like this, and I believe I’m capable of something even faster.”

Desiree Davila finished second and Kara Goucher was third.

Three Maine women also competed. Sheri Piers, 40, of Falmouth finished 24th in the field of 152 with a time of 2:37:09. She was the first masters runner across the line.

Kristin Barry, 38, of Scarborough finished 83rd in 2:45:43, and Erica Jesseman, 22, also of Scarborough, finished 88th in 2:46:11.

Gladys Ganiel O’Neill, a Harrington native who moved to Ireland 11 years ago and now has dual citizenship, plans to run in today’s Houston Marathon in hopes of achieving the 2:37 Olympic ‘A’ standard that would make her eligible for the Irish Olympic team.

“My (personal record) is 2:41:22, so it will be difficult,” she wrote in an email, “but possible on a good day, I think.”