Des Linden is making her 28th marathon — and 12th in Boston — the last 26.2-mile race of her professional career.
Linden, 41, made her marathon debut in Boston in 2007, ran her first of five Olympic Trials marathons in Boston in 2008 and in 2018 became the first American female runner to win the world’s oldest annual marathon since 1985.
“I made my debut at 26.2 on your roads in 2007 and fell in love — with the distance and with the Boston Marathon,” was posted on Linden’s social media two hours before she started Monday’s Boston Marathon. “Four years later, we were in it together as you lifted me up through the Newton Hills, carried me as I turned right on Hereford and left on Boylston, and brought me within two heartbreaking seconds of victory.
“But you never gave up on me, inviting me to keep showing up. Hell, you embraces the fight, because Boston knows grit. The victory in 2018 wasn’t just mine. It was ours.
“People say you should go out on top, and that’s what I’m doing — because getting to race my final professional marathon in Boston is indeed going out on top. I’m ready to leave it all out on the course one last time. See you on Boylston.
“Thanks for all the years and all the cheers, Des.”
Linden raced the Olympic marathon in 2012 (dropping out with a stress fracture in her femur) and 2016 (placing seventh).
Let’s have ourselves a day. #BostonMarathonpic.twitter.com/l4PsOphpCV
— des_linden (@des_linden) April 21, 2025
Published April 21, 2025 09:53 AM
Des Linden is making her 28th marathon — and 12th in Boston — the last 26.2-mile race of her professional career.
Linden, 41, made her marathon debut in Boston in 2007 and ran her first of five Olympic Trials marathons in Boston in 2008. In a cold, windy 2018 downpour, she became the first American female runner to win the world’s oldest annual marathon since 1985.
“I made my debut at 26.2 on your roads in 2007 and fell in love — with the distance and with the Boston Marathon,” was posted on Linden’s social media two hours before she started Monday’s Boston Marathon. “Four years later, we were in it together as you lifted me up through the Newton Hills, carried me as I turned right on Hereford and left on Boylston, and brought me within two heartbreaking seconds of victory.
“But you never gave up on me, inviting me to keep showing up. Hell, you embraces the fight, because Boston knows grit. The victory in 2018 wasn’t just mine. It was ours.
“People say you should go out on top, and that’s what I’m doing — because getting to race my final professional marathon in Boston is indeed going out on top. I’m ready to leave it all out on the course one last time. See you on Boylston.
“Thanks for all the years and all the cheers, Des.”
Linden raced the Olympic marathon in 2012 (dropping out with a stress fracture in her femur) and 2016 (placing seventh).
