A historic day at the Boston Marathon
Desi Linden becomes first American woman to win race since 1985.
Shalane Flanagan is a marathon champion, and, as it turns out, maybe a bit of a prophet.
The American distance runner might have foretold Des Linden’s win in the Boston Marathon on Monday, or at least encouraged her U.S. teammate.
Flanagan won the New York City Marathon in November, earning her first major marathon win and the first win for an American woman in that race since 1977.
Afterward, Linden tweeted, “In tears. Thank you @ShalaneFlanagan for giving us something to believe in. Congratulations!”
Flanagan’s response?
“Now it’s your turn,” she tweeted to Linden.
Linden became the first American woman to win Boston since 1985, gutting out her first major win with a time of 2:39:54 in heavy rain and wind.
She did that despite considering dropping out early in the race.
Linden said on the NBC Sports Network broadcast that she considered dropping out between miles two and four, so she told Flanagan that she’d do anything to help her.
Flanagan, 36, considered retiring after New York but decided to run Boston in hopes of finally winning the race she grew up watching as a kid in Marblehead, Mass., outside of Boston.
When Flanagan stopped early in the race to use a Porta Potty, Linden waited and helped her catch the lead pack.
“When you work together you never know what’s going to happen,” Linden said on the broadcast. “Helping her helped me and kind of got my legs back from there.”
Flanagan finished sixth on Monday. And another part of that November tweet foreshadowed the Boston results.
She replied to Linden in November with emojis of a flexing arm and the U.S. flag.
Led by Linden’s win, the American women claimed six of the top seven spots.
In the men’s race, Yuki Kawauchi of Japan got his first Boston Marathon win in 2:15:58. The last Japanese man to win the Boston Marathon was Toshihiko Seko in 1987.