--- title: Desiree Linden Wins Boston Marathon 2018 Women's Race description: Desiree Linden became the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon since 1985, three decades after Lisa Larsen Weidenback. canonical: https://time.com/5241721/desiree-linden-boston-marathon-2018/ author: Jennifer Calfas article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-04-16T16:24:56.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-12T20:32:42.000Z article:section: Sports og:title: Desiree Linden Just Became the First American Woman to Win the Boston Marathon in Three Decades og:description: Linden lost the 2011 Boston Marathon title by just six seconds og:url: https://time.com/5241721/desiree-linden-boston-marathon-2018/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5262af113fe76de2/69892db8fb4eacff78896594/desiree-linden-boston-marathon.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Desiree Linden Boston Marathon winner og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Desiree Linden Just Became the First American Woman to Win the Boston Marathon in Three Decades twitter:description: Linden lost the 2011 Boston Marathon title by just six seconds twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5262af113fe76de2/69892db8fb4eacff78896594/desiree-linden-boston-marathon.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Desiree Linden Just Became the First American Woman to Win the Boston Marathon in Three Decades > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. by [Jennifer Calfas](https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas Updated: Dec 12, 2023 8:32 PM UTCPublished: Apr 16, 2018 4:24 PM UTC  Desiree Linden, of Washington, Mich., wins the women's division of the 122nd Boston Marathon, in Boston on April 16, 2018. Desiree Linden, of Washington, Mich., wins the women's division of the 122nd Boston Marathon, in Boston on April 16, 2018.Charles Krupa—AP/Shutterstock by [Jennifer Calfas](https://time.com/author/jennifer-calfas/) ## Jennifer Calfas Updated: Dec 12, 2023 8:32 PM UTCPublished: Apr 16, 2018 4:24 PM UTC The drought is over for American women at the Boston Marathon. Desiree “Desi” Linden, 34, won the 2018 Boston Marathon and became the first American woman to win the women’s race since Lisa Larsen Weidenback did so in 1985 after pulling away from a competitive field and battling unusually[ cold, wet and windy conditions](http://time.com/5241504/boston-marathon-2018-wind-rain/). The win marked redemption for Linden, who performed in the elite field at Boston throughout her career and lost the 2011 Boston Marathon title by just two seconds. Linden, a two-time Olympian, came out on top Monday when she pulled away from the chase pack and took the lead from Ethiopian runner Mamitu Daska toward the end of the race. For the final five miles of the race, Linden expanded her lead and crossed the finish line, drenched from the rain and with no other runners in sight. Linden won the women’s race with an unofficial time 2:39.54 — more than 10 minutes off her personal record but a substantial effort amid Boston’s harsh weather conditions on Monday. “It’s storybook,” Linden told NBC Sports of her win. “I’m thrilled to be here and get it done.” “Even on a day like today where it’s pretty miserable out,” she added, “people show up and they embrace the race.” > [](https://twitter.com/des%5Flinden/status/985966360785276928) > [](https://twitter.com/bostonmarathon/status/985914755490689024) Linden’s victory answered months of speculation as to whether a U.S. woman could win due to a talented American field in this year’s race. Professional distance runners Shalane Flanagan, Molly Huddle and Sara Sellers, among several others, joined Linden in the women’s race, and Americans filled six of the top eight finishers. Flanagan, one of the favorites among the Americans, came in seventh with an unofficial time of 2:46.31\. In November 2017, Flanagan won the TCS New York City Marathon — similarly becoming the first American woman to do so since 1977. > [](https://twitter.com/bostonmarathon/status/985927536021573633) Sportsmanship among the Americans was on full display during the race, particularly when Linden held back toward the beginning of the race to help Flanagan catch up to the pack after stopping at a port-a-potty. In an interview after the race, Linden said she wasn’t feeling well, considered dropping out mid-race and chose to instead try to help Flanagan, a Massachusetts native who was vying for a Boston title. > [](https://twitter.com/des%5Flinden/status/985840265956126720) “When you work together, you never know what’s going to happen,” Linden told NBC Sports. “Helping her helped me.” Flanagan and Linden have represented the U.S. together throughout their careers, including at the Olympic marathon in 2012 and 2016. Linden and 1985’s winner Weidenback, now Lisa Larsen Rainsberger, have another connection aside from their shared titles: Michigan. According to the [Detroit _Free Press_](https://www.freep.com/story/sports/2018/04/16/2018-boston-marathon-desi-linden/520677002/), two runners both live in the midwestern state, and Liden lives in Washington, Mich., just on the outside of metro Detroit. Perhaps Linden’s experience with inclement weather in Michigan helped give her a leg up with the rain, wind and cold in Boston Monday. History was also made this year on the men’s side when Yuki Kawauchi became the first Japanese man to win the race since Toshihiko Seko won in 1987. Linden and Kawauchi’s new titles also come with a big pay day. They will each receive $150,000 prize, provided by John Hancock Financial, the largest sponsor of the Boston Marathon. The top 15 winners on the men’s and women’s sides will also receive financial prizes, with second-place finishers winning $75,000 and third-place finishers winning $40,000 each. **Correction:** The original version of this story misstated the amount of time by which Desiree Linden lost the 2011 Boston Marathon. 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