Marathon great Des Linden’s last dance: what happens when an 18-year career ends?

One of America’s greatest distance runners is excited about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead after a job she modestly describes as ‘cushy’

There is no better word to describe Des Linden’s 18-year professional career than consistent. No matter the race, weather, or competition, she always showed up with her best – and the results back it up. A two-time Olympian, winner of the 2018 Boston Marathon, and world record-holder in the 50k, Linden is one of America’s greatest ever distance runners. But like any good thing, her career can’t last for ever.

“This will be my last time racing Boston in the professional field,” Linden said a few weeks before this year’s race. Despite countless accolades, Linden wanted her final pro marathon to be about the competition, not a farewell tour that could get in the way of her goal of “leaving it all out there one last time.”

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