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It was her third marathon in less than seven months. Linden ran Chicago last October (where she was 17Ice vs Heat for Injuries) Advertisement - Continue Reading Below (11Ice vs Heat for Injuries). She told Runner’s World before the race that her build-up for Boston was the smoothest of the three races, but she was experiencing “a little mental fatigue.”
Linden started the race with her characteristic restraint. While the women’s leaders went out quickly for the first four miles, she was already behind, and that gap was 53 seconds by the 10K split.
But as the lead pack of 21 women let the pace lag over the next 10 miles, Linden was able to catch up to them through the halfway point in Wellesley. She even briefly took the lead just before the 14-mile mark, much to the delight of fans.
Linden slowed somewhat, however, over the second half of the course today. She split 1:12:41 for the first half and 1:15:46 for the second. She was still the third American, not too far off Emma Bates in 12th (2:27:14) and Sara Hall (2:27:58). The three embraced at the finish line and waved to the fans in the bleachers.
“Had a ton of fun,” Linden wrote in a text message to Runner’s World after the race. “Really was thinking 2:25 was a possibility, but legs were pretty thrashed by 18—so way too early. Thought I held it together well, though.”
Linden has long had an affinity for Boston. She made her marathon debut here in 2007, running 2:44:56 and vowing afterward to master the event. She quickly improved, and finished second by 2 seconds at the 2011 Boston, in her PR of 2:22:38. It before the era of super shoes and a time that would have won the race in many years. (Hellen Obiri of Kenya was the winner today in 2:22:37.)
In 2018, in the midst of a severe storm that brought high winds and drenching rain, Linden finally got her win, breaking the tape in 2:39:54. At that race, she coined her now-famous mantra “keep showing up” to describe how she finally found success at the title that had eluded her.
Today’s race marked Linden’s 28th start at a marathon distance or longer—and her 27th finish. Her lone DNF was at the London Olympics in 2012.
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World Crowds Push Father-Son Duo to 2:55 at Boston, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
