Running News Daily

Nine former champions will be running the Boston Marathon this year

2019 Boston Marathon To Have 9 Former Champions In Elite Field. The Boston Athletic Association and sponsor John Hancock officially announced the entire team of elite runners Thursday for the 2019 race.

There will be 82 elite athletes competing, including Olympians, Paralympians, world champions and marathon majors winners from 15 countries.

The returning men’s champions will be:

2018: Yuki Kawauchi of Japan  2017: Geoffrey Kirui of Kenya  2016: Lemi Berhanu of Ethiopia  2015 and 2013: Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia  2012: Wesley Korir of Kenya

The returning women’s champions will be:

2018: Desiree Linden of the U.S.  2017: Edna Kiplagat of Kenya  2015: Caroline Rotich of Kenya  2012: Sharon Cherop of Kenya

Seven Boston Marathon wheelchair champions will also return for this year’s race, including defending champions Marcel Hug of Switzerland and Tatyana McFadden of the U.S.

(01/28/2019) ⚡AMP

2018 Boston Marathon Winner Desiree Linden will run the Louisiana Half Marathon in January

The first American female to win the Boston Marathon in 30 years, Desiree Linden, will compete in The Louisiana Half Marathon on Sunday, January 20, 2019.

She will use the race as a tune-up as she prepares for the 2019 Boston Marathon, taking place on Monday, April 15, 2019. Runners and spectators can meet Linden during the Shipt Louisiana Marathon Expo on Friday, January 18, and during a Q&A session with Linden on Sunday, January 20, at The Louisiana Marathon Finish Fest.

The full marathon boasted the highest percentage of Boston Qualifiers for January races last year.  There are four distances including the half marathon. 

“We are thrilled to have Des Linden join us for the 2019 race weekend. As she prepares to defend her Boston title by running The Louisiana Half Marathon, she will experience our fast and flat course, winding through downtown Baton Rouge, historic neighborhoods and LSU’s campus,” said The Louisiana Marathon Strategic Partnerships Director Craig Sweeney.

The three-day running festival, culminating with the nationally-recognized Finish Fest, is a culturally rich event that celebrates both running and the unique culture that defines Louisiana. 

(12/30/2018) ⚡AMP

Sara Hall will join women´s Elite 2019 Boston Marathon Field

Sara Hall and reported yesterday Jordan Hasay will join defending champions Desiree Linden and Tatyana McFadden on the starting line of the 123rd Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15, part of the event's elite women American field.

John Hancock, the financial services company which manages and bankrolls the race's top athletes on behalf of the Boston Athletic Association, reported earlier today that Hasay and Hall would be part of a 29-athlete elite American field.

"American distance running has never been stronger, and we're honored to support this talented U.S. elite team to showcase their dedication and passion for being the best of class," said John Hancock chief marketing officer Barbara Goose.

"With defending champions Des Linden and Tatyana McFadden leading the way, all runners are sure to persevere in the world's most historic race. We'll be cheering for everyone on Patriots' Day."

Hasay, 27, whose 2:23:00 marathon debut in Boston in 2017 remains the fastest-ever by an American woman, also signed up for the 2018 edition of the race but was unable to start due to a stress reaction in her heel.

She had backed up her Boston performance with a 2:20:57 in Chicago in October, 2017, but has not run a marathon since. Hasay was the 2017 USA 15-K and 20-K road running champion.

Hall, 35, was the 2017 USA marathon champion and is the only American athlete in history with national road racing titles from the mile to the marathon. She ran a personal best 2:26:20 at the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon last May, but dropped out of the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon last October after running 25 kilometers with a "tweaked" peroneal, according to her official Twitter account.

(12/19/2018) ⚡AMP

Sarah Sellers has confirmed she will be running the 2019 Boston Marathon

In April, Sarah Sellers started the Boston Marathon with the elite female runners — it was just her second career marathon — and posted a surprising second-place finish.

At the 2019 race, she will return as part of the John Hancock US Elite Team. Sellers’s appearance was announced Tuesday along with the rest of the top American runners John Hancock, the race’s primary sponsor, will bring to Boston as part of its elite runner program.

Sellers will join Desiree Linden, whose intention to return to defend her victory was previously announced, and 2017 third-place finisher Jordan Hasay as the top American women in the field for the 2019 Boston Marathon on April 15. Sarah Hall, the 2017 US National Marathon champion, is also part of the team.

Flash Back: Sellers crossed the finish line in second place at the prestigious 26.2-mile race in rain-soaked conditions as a virtual unknown. Few online road-race results existed for Sellers, and she was not listed among the elite field. In the wet and windy conditions, Sellers wore a nondescript outfit, with no visible sponsors, and simply clicked the timer on her watch after crossing the finish line.

Her time of 2 hours 44 minutes 4 seconds left her in second place, and she was among seven American women in the top 10. Desiree Linden was the first American woman to win the race since 1985, a historic finish in a race full of surprises.

(12/18/2018) ⚡AMP

Yuki Kawauchi and Desiree Linden will return to defend their titles at the Boston Marathon

Yuki Kawauchi and Desiree Linden battled through dismal conditions last year, running in freezing rain and driving winds to claim their dramatic victories.

Known for his high-volume, high quality racing, Kawauchi has won over 30 marathons, holds the Japanese 50K national best time and has competed on three IAAF World Championships Marathon teams. But it was his victory in Boston that was his biggest to date. 

”My victory in Boston was a moment in my marathon life that I will never forget,” Kawauchi said.

“I look forward to meeting all my fellow runners in Boston and running together with them.” Linden, a two-time U.S. Olympian, captured headlines across the US with her victory, the first by an American woman in 33 years in the race.

“In 2007, I ran my first Boston Marathon; I absolutely fell in love with the event, the course, the city, all of it,” Linden said.

“I thought I had every experience imaginable racing in Boston, but in 2019 I’m thrilled and proud to have another first as I’ll start the race as the defending Boston Marathon champion.”

(12/10/2018) ⚡AMP

It would be really neat to have real time tracking in a race says Desiree Linden

Desiree Linden became the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years. On a cold and rainy day in Massachusetts, Linden didn’t have much belief that she could win the 122nd version of the race. She even slowed down early into the race to wait her teammate, Shalane Flanagan, so that they could both catch back up to the elite pack together.  The weather conditions were very bad and the Boston Globe called it “the worst weather in Boston Marathon history.” After Linden and Flanagan caught back up to the pack, a surprising thing happened. 35-years-old Linden who trains in Michigan, began to pull away. She would end up winning the marathon in 2:39:54.  Most recently Desiree was one of four Americans to finished in the top seven at the New York City Marathon.  The website Sport Techie spoke with Desiree about Data Versus Disconnection and other matters.  “Running is still a pure sport where you can go out with just your shoes and kind of disconnect for a long time, which is refreshing in today’s world,” says Desiree. “But then you can implement technology as you go and take as as much data as you want. The range is different for everyone.  It would be really neat to have real-time tracking in the race via a mechanism in clothes or shoes. They could give you splits during the race every 5k or so, and there could be something in the shoe that could real-time track runners so that people could see heart rate and cadence during the race. I think that’d add an interesting graphic during race broadcasts.” How about the Balance Between Innovation and Ability? “A lot of big companies (like NIKE) are attempting to break the two-hour marathon barrier,” she says, “and see the shoe as a place to really make that jump. There’s definitely a movement in shoe technology. I think there’s a lot of brands trying to catch up in that race.  The question is how much do you let it impact your sport? Is the shoe doing the work or is it still the athlete? It’ll be interesting to watch and see how governing bodies decide if and when technology is taking over the actual capacity of the runner.” (11/18/2018) ⚡AMP
by Jen Booton @ SportTechie.com

Kenya's Mary Keitany pulled off her fourth New York City Marathon win crushing the field

Kenya's Mary Keitany opened up a lead after a 4:54 mile at the 20 mile mark.  The 36-year-old with a PR of 2:17:01 while winning the 2017 London Marathon was in control.  Mary won three consecutive TCS New York City Marathons from 2014 to 2016.  In 2016 her 3:34 margin of victory was the greatest in the women's race since 1980.  Last year she was runner-up to Shalane Flanagan clocking 2:27:54.  Today Shalane Flanagan was about a quarter mile back with six miles to go holding on to fifth place.  Molly Huddle (USA) was close behind.  At 35K Mary projected finish time was just 50 seconds off the course record.  The course record of 2:22:31 was set in 2003. Shalane Flanagan moved up to fourth at 35k with Molly in 5th.   Meanwhile Mary Keitany continued pulling further ahead clipping off 5:05 miles.  35-year-old Vivian Cheruiyot who won the 2018 London Marathon (2:18:31) upped her pace to 5:21/mile making a move on Ethiopian's Rahma Tusa who was second at 23 miles.  Mary crossed the finish line first clocking 2:22:48 crushing the field. Vivian Cheruityot was second in 2:26:02.  America’s Shalane Flanagan finished third in 2:26:22 and Molly Huddle was fourth in 2:26:44.  Rahma Tusa faded to fifth clocking 2:27:13.   2018 Boston marathon winner Desiree Linden placed 6th clocking 2:27:51.  Allie Kieffe (US) places 7th clocking 2:28:12.   (11/04/2018) ⚡AMP

America’s Molly Huddle just might be the one to beat at this year’s New York City Marathon

Last year Shalane Flanagan became the first American woman in 40 years to win the New York City Marathon. Desiree Linden followed with a victory in April at the Boston Marathon, the first American woman to win in 33 years. Those achievements motivate Molly Huddle, who finished third at the 2016 NYC Marathon in her debut after a successful middle-distance career. "We have a very talented group of women marathoners," Huddle said. The 34-year-old from upstate New York is among that group. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Huddle broke Flanagan's 10,000-meter American record from the 2008 Beijing Games. In January, Huddle broke Deena Kastor's 2006 American record at the Houston Half Marathon. Kastor, who won bronze in the marathon at the 2004 Athens Olympics, watched Huddle surpass her record in Texas. "Some of the other American women already have the accolades under their belt," Kastor said. "Molly is coming in a little more hungry. So I think we'll see something special out of her on Sunday." Huddle recently trained for two months in Arizona in the high altitude of Flagstaff and Scottsdale. She lives and trains in Providence, Rhode Island, where her longtime coach Ray Treacy is the track coach at Providence College.  The 5-foot-4 Huddle called it a "confidence boost" to finish on the podium in her first marathon. Defending champion Flanagan and Linden are in the field Sunday, along with Kenyans Mary Keitany and Vivian Cheruiyot. Last year, Flanagan brought it home to a cheering crowd against a fading Keitany. "She really captivated everybody watching, the two million people on the streets, those of us glued to our televisions or here at the finish line to welcome her at Central Park," Kastor said. "It was an extraordinary performance." Kastor thinks Huddle has a good chance on Sunday. Huddle aims to make the U.S. team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. "Molly has such a great range and she's pushing it into the marathon," said Kastor.  "She could really make the team in whatever event she chooses — 5K, 10K and marathon." Huddle attributes the surge of American women in the marathon to watching the likes of Kastor, Flanagan and others perform at international levels.  She says "once you see it is possible" it helps "shift your subconscious." "It's raised the bar," Huddle said. "It's more encouraging than anything."  (11/01/2018) ⚡AMP

Ethiopia's Shura Kitata runs fastest half in US and Linden are winners at Rock ’N’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon

Fall marathon season is in full swing, and the elites have started their tune-up races in preparation. So far, it’s been successful: Reigning Boston Marathon champion Desiree Linden took first at the Rock ’N’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon this weekend. The women’s field was stacked, and included Linden, Sarah Sellers, who finished second at Boston, and Kellyn Taylor. In the race, Linden was neck and neck with Taylor, until Linden pulled away late. Linden topped the podium with a time of 1:11:49, while Taylor took second with a 1:12:07. Taylor captured the attention of the running world in June when she won the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota in 2:24:28, the seventh-fastest marathon time ever for an American woman. The men’s race was won by Ethiopia's Shura Kitata in a stunning 59:17.  This is the fastest half marathon run in the United States and the 6th best winning time in the world in the last 12 months.  Parker Stinson finished second, in 1:03:02, and Canada’s Cam Levins was third, in 1:03:10. Cam Levins also raced Philadelphia as a tune-up, in his case for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 21. Stinson will run Chicago on October 7. (09/17/2018) ⚡AMP

Desiree Linden who has been itching to get back to racing is set to run Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half

The 2018 Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon will once again include a world-class group of elite men and women when they toe the line on September 15-16. With the depth of the elite field, the half marathon, which will take place on September 16, is set to be one of the most thrilling races of the year, taking runners along the flat and fast course that starts on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, runs through Center City before winding along the city’s scenic Schuylkill River and finishing at the iconic “Rocky Steps” of the Philadelphia Art Museum. Headlining the field will be Desiree “Des” Linden who won the 2018 Boston Marathon, becoming the first American woman to win the race in 33 years. Linden is a two-time Olympian from San Diego, California representing the United States of America at the last two Summer Olympic Games with her best finish coming in 2016 in Rio when she placed seventh. Her personal best in the marathon is 2:22:38 and 1:10:34 for the half marathon. “I’ve enjoyed the post-Boston victory tour, but I’ve been itching to get back to racing,” said Linden. “I can’t wait to head to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon to test out the legs and find out where I’m at with my fall marathon training. With the fast course and stellar competition the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon always brings, it will be the perfect jumpstart to my fall racing season.” (08/26/2018) ⚡AMP

Mary Keitany win the NYRR New York Mini 10K by over one minute

More than 8,300 women took on 6.2 miles in Central Park this morning at the 47th running of the NYRR New York Mini 10K, bringing the event’s total finishers to more than 200,000 since its inception in 1972. Each year, the Mini celebrates women of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds coming together to advance their sport while having a great time running alongside their friends, teammates, mothers, daughters, sisters, and role models. Kenya's Mary Keitany, a three-time TCS New York City Marathon winner, took the top spot in the open division in 30:59, the fifth-fastest time in event history. Americans Aliphine Tuliamuk and Molly Huddle were second and third, in 32:08 and 32:25, respectively.  Star-studded professional athlete fields were followed by thousands of women, each with their own reason for running.  Stephanie Bruce finished 7th in 32:55.  Charlotte Arter finished 8th in 33:01.  Boston Marathon winner Desiree Linden was 14th in 35:12 while Sarah Sellers finished with 35:29 in 17th place.  40-year-old Roberta Groner from New Jersey ran 34:10 for 11th place and 50-year-old Fiona Bayly from New York finished 31st place with 37:50.  (06/09/2018) ⚡AMP

British 10,000m champion is looking forward to running the NYRR Mini 10K

Charlotte Arter  has already secured her 10,000m spot for the European Championships in Berlin. The 26-year-old added yet another PB to her 2018 list by clocking 32:15.71 when finishing third at last month’s Highgate Night of the 10,000m PBs – claiming European Cup bronze, the British title and her European Championships place in the process. With no standard to chase, Arter is looking forward to seeing what else she might be capable of over the next two months before she pulls on the GB vest once again. “Motivation is at an all-time high at the moment,” says the Cardiff athlete, reflecting on her run at Highgate which followed other recent PB performances over 5km, 10km and the half-marathon. “It makes all the hard work that you put in, not only over the last year but throughout the whole of your running career, worth it when you get an outcome like that. “It also gives you a bit of trust that you’re in great shape. It’s now more just a case of enjoying the rest of the summer. There’s no pressure now, it’s just taking each race as it comes and enjoying it all. “I know I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in.” “I absolutely loved my time in America so going back to race will be really cool,” says Arter, who now works full-time as a performance sport officer at Cardiff University. “I did a lot through the NCAA collegiate system but didn’t do much external racing so I’m looking forward to what will be my first pro race out there against a really high-quality field. It’s pretty amazing to be part of.” Kenya’s defending champion Mary Keitany and US runners Molly Huddle and Desiree Linden are also among the entries and Arter is keen to test herself at the NYRR Mini 10K.        (06/08/2018) ⚡AMP

10-Year-Old Arielle Avina, Becomes Youngest Female To Win A Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series 5K Event

10-year-old Arielle Avina (Murrieta, Cali.) shocked the finish line crowd today (Sunday June 3) as she won the female division at the Synchrony Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego 5K presented by Brooks. With this year’s Boston Marathon Champion, Desiree Linden on hand to support and inspire runners, Avina found an extra gear past other competitors finishing the race in a time of 19:20 as she became the youngest female to ever win a Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series 5K event. Baxter Arguinchona from Cardiff, California took home the men’s 5K race with a time of 16:59.  (06/05/2018) ⚡AMP

Boston Marathon Champion, Desiree Linden is returning to Boston for BAA10K

The BAA announced today that 2018 Boston Marathon champion Desiree Linden will return to Boston for June's BAA10K, presented by Brigham Womens. You can join Des and some of the world's fastest runners as the BAA kicks off summer at this fun race through the Back Bay. This year's event will be held on Sunday, June 24, and will have a maximum field size of 10,000 entrants. The women's course record was set by Shalane Flanagan in 2016.  She clocked 30:52 which is also the American Record. (04/27/2018) ⚡AMP

Desiree Linden was wet, was cold and wanted to stop but she didn’t as marathoners do and won Boston and $150,000

The weather Monday in Boston was more than bad, it was terrible. Shalane Flanagan posted, “Those were the most brutal conditions I’ve ever run in.” One elite woman just kept putting one foot in front of the other faster than anyone else until the end. Desiree Linden even at one point waited for Shalane at a bathroom stop. This brief break, might have helped Desiree get life back in her legs as well. Desiree caught back up to the lead pack but Shalane couldn’t hang. In the end Desiree won by nearly four minutes and became the the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon since Lisa Rainsberger in 1985. Afterwards she said there were many moments she wanted to drop out but she kept on going. Was it worth it? For her efforts she was given a check for $150,000. She could have easily not finished. It is interesting to note that according to the race director 95.5% of those who started finished. Very impressive but then again marathoners are a different breed. (04/17/2018) ⚡AMP
by Bob Anderson

Desiree Linden this year was all alone as she crossed the finish line in Boston unlike in 2011

Desiree Linden became the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon since Lisa Rainsberger in 1985, ending the drought on a day when the runners faced a deluge of rain. Linden came two seconds from winning Boston in 2011. Before the race, Linden told Boston.com that her goal was to “compete up front and hopefully have that battle on Boylston again. And have a different outcome this time, for sure.” The first battle she was referring to came in 2011, when she matched Caroline Kilel stride for stride down the stretch but fell two seconds short of a laurel wreath. Linden, racing in her marathon debut, crossed the line in a personal best of 2:22:38. People expected her to feel ecstatic about the result, but she had spent four months convincing herself every day that she was going to win the race. “So when I crossed the finish line second, it was the first time in four months that I wasn’t the winner of the Boston Marathon and I was pretty pissed,” Linden said. There was no one to battle on Boylston this time around as she pulled away from the pack and raced alone to the finish line. (04/17/2018) ⚡AMP

So who is Sarah Sellers who place second at this year’s Boston Marathon?

Many of those who watched the Boston Marathon — even the ones who follow the sport of running — had the same question Monday: Who in the world is Sarah Sellers? Sellers crossed the finish line in second place at the prestigious 26.2-mile race, in rain-soaked conditions, as a virtual unknown. Few online road-race results existed for Sellers, and she was not listed among the elite field for Boston. In the wet and windy conditions, Sellers wore a nondescript outfit, with no visible sponsors, and crossed the finish line by simply clicking the timer on her watch. Her time of 2 hours 44 minutes 4 seconds put her second among the seven American women who placed in the top 10. Desiree Linden was the first American woman to win the race since 1985, a historic finish in a race full of surprises. But Sellers’s finish may have been the most improbable. “I mean, I still can’t believe I finished second,” Sellers, 26, said in a phone interview Monday afternoon. “I’m going to wake up and this will be a dream.” Sellers never planned to podium at Boston. Not when she was a standout runner at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, where she grew up. Not even when she qualified for Boston after winning the Huntsville Marathon last September in Utah in 2:44:27. She only signed up for Boston because her younger brother, 24-year-old Ryan Callister, was running it. (Ryan finished in 2:48:20.) Plus she’s also a nurse anesthetist who works full-time in Tucson. She doesn’t have an agent, or any sponsors, and has to fit in her workouts at either 4 a.m. before work or 7 p.m. after her 10-hour shifts at Banner Health Center. (04/16/2018) ⚡AMP

America’s Desiree Linden beats the weather and is first American to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years.

America's Desiree Linden took the lead at the 35K mark (2:12:22) with Kenya's Gladys Chesir right behind. Mamitu Daska from Ethiopian was elven seconds back in third place. Shalane Flanagan is not handling the weather well but is still hanging in there. There were four American's in the top ten at 35K. Des still lead the pack at the 40K mark of with an elapsed time of 2:31:13 and lead to the finish. Des went on to win in a time of 2:39:54. In the end seven American women finished in the top ten. Shalane Flanagan hung on to finish 7th. Desiree splashed her way through icy rain and a near-gale headwind to be the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon since 1985. The two-time Olympian and 2011 Boston runner-up pulled away at the end of Heartbreak Hill and ran alone through Brookline to finish almost four minutes ahead of second place. That's the slowest time for a women's winner since 1978. (04/16/2018) ⚡AMP

John Hancock Releases Pro Athletes’ Running Playlists On Spotify

What do Shalane Flanagan, Molly Huddle, Jordan Hasay and Desiree Linden have in common? Besides being speed demons, they’re also members of the John Hancock Elite Athlete Team who are racing the 2018 Boston Marathon–and, as of this morning, they’ve all shared curated running playlists with fans as part of their race-day buildup. The playlists are available for those interested in listening all the way through or matching music to specific paces or time spent running. Some also feature words of motivation from the athletes themselves. “In our 33 years sponsoring the Boston Marathon, we’ve never had the opportunity to offer this type of personal experience with our elite running team to so many,” said Barbara Goose, the chief marketing officer at John Hancock, (03/25/2018) ⚡AMP

Strongest American Elite Field Ever for Boston

MBR BEST 100: John Hancock announced its strongest U.S. Elite Team since its principal sponsorship began in 1986. The team, recruited to compete against an accomplished international field, will all be going for the coveted olive wreath on April 16, 2018. The US elite team: Shalane Flanagan, Galen Rupp, Sara Hall,Desiree Linden,Serena Burla, Shadrack Biwott, Abdi Abdirahman, Dathan Ritzenhein, Deena Kastor, Molly Muddle, Jordan Hasay, Scott Smith, Ryan Vail, Kellyn Taylor and Andrew Bumbalough. (12/12/2017) ⚡AMP