8 Things To Know About The Latina Boston Marathon Winner Desiree Linden
It had been over three decades since an American woman won the Boston Marathon but that all changed on Monday, April 16 when Desiree Linden — a Latina by the way — made history by becoming the first American woman to win the marathon since Lisa Rainsberger in 1985
Photo: Wikimedia Commons/marathon-i
It had been over three decades since an American woman won the Boston Marathon but that all changed on Monday, April 16 when Desiree Linden — a Latina by the way — made history by becoming the first American woman to win the marathon since Lisa Rainsberger in 1985. This is a huge deal not just for women — but for Latinas especially!
It was a hard day to run. The weather was nasty, filled with cold rain and powerful winds. And yet Linden still managed to run 26.2 miles through Boston in 2 hours, 39 minutes, and 54 seconds. According to The Associated Press, it was the slowest time for a winner in a women’s race since 1978. The poor weather conditions made it almost impossible but that didn’t stop Linden from putting in her all.
It was so cold, Linden was shivering by the time she made it to the finish line. “I don’t have the right words,” she told a team of reporters. “I’m thrilled, it’s supposed to be hard and I just want to thank John Hancock and the BAA for giving me the chance year after year and believing in me, sometimes when I didn’t believe in myself. It’s good to get it done.”
Linden kicked ass and as Latinas we could NOT be prouder! Here are a few fun facts we dug up on the Boston Marathon winner!
She’s such a team player.
Folks were stunned when she waited for her teammate Shalane Flanagan. Apparently Flanagan had made a quick toilet break 45 minutes into the race and Linden chose to wait for her. It was an unusual move on both their parts but admirable that Linden still waited.
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She came very close to winning before.
The 34-year-old who is originally from Chula Vista, California but lives in Michigan, came in second back in 2011 and was just two seconds behind Kenyan winner Caroline Kilel.
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Did I mention she’s also a two-time Olympian?
That’s right. She came in seventh at the 2016 Rio Games. She had to drop out a few miles into the marathon though at the 2012 London Games do to a stress fracture.
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She refers to herself as a “bourbon geek.”
She shared in an interview with Outside Online her love for whiskey. When asked how she likes to drink it, Linden responded saying: “Frequently.” We’re pretty sure she celebrated her win with a smooth shot of whiskey!
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Her husband is also a runner.
Linden’s husband Ryan Linden, is a professional runner as well. In fact, that’s how they met. His best was in the 2010 Chicago Marathon where he finished at 2:26:21.
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Linden took a break after last year’s Boston Marathon.
The runner was burnt out and took a five months break from running. She took it easy all summer of 2017 and returned to training in September. wp_*posts
Her birth name is so Latina.
Linden was born Desiree Dávila and clearly took her husband’s name after marriage.
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She loves dogs SO much.
Here she is with her favorite furry friend.
