OlympicTalk · Apr 15, 2019
Des Linden cracks open beer after satisfying Boston Marathon, future unclear
BOSTON — Around mile 18, Des Linden thought to herself, “hang up the shoes, retire.” Then she thought about Gabe Grunewald, her Brooks Running teammate who has battled cancer several times in the last decade.
“I thought about every mile being for her and making it matter,” Linden said on NBCSN. “Be brave like Gabe.”
Linden, boosted by those feelings and the Boston crowd cheering on the defending champion, moved up from ninth place to cross the Boylston Street finish line in fifth, 3 minutes, 29 seconds behind Ethiopian winner Worknesh Degefa.
“Any time you finish top five in Boston, that’s a win,” she said on CBS Boston.