Wearing black compression socks around her calves and a long-sleeved black shirt over her racing kit, Desiree Linden, a petite competitor with a reputation for savvy racing tactics, tucked into a pack of taller women and tried to battle the wind gusts that swirled through the Races & Places course.
Races - Places Boston Marathon, Linden has a personal record of 2:22:38. But with wind and cold forecast all week, the elite entrants in the race weren’t concerned with time, only with competing.
For Linden, it worked out better than most. She was the first American woman across the line in fifth place in 2:28:11, 3:05 behind the winner, Mary Keitany of Kenya.
In the first half of the race, Linden seemed well positioned to contend for a podium finish, running conservatively with a pack of 10 women. At mile 9, Linden shed her outer layer to show the trademark yellow and red singlet of her team, the Hanson Brooks Distance Project in Rochester, Michigan.
But with eight miles to go and the pace picking up, Linden dropped back. “I think it was around 19 that I was completely broken from the pack,” she said. “It went from racing to surviving—and feeling like you were going backwards the rest of the race.”
Linden lost track of what place she was in and was happy at the end to find herself in fifth. “You fight for every spot,” she said. “A lot can happen in those last few miles. I closed respectably and I picked off a few people right in that final stretch.”
Annie Bersagel, 31, a lawyer who lives in Oslo, Norway, was second among Americans, 10th overall in 2:33:02. She ran a well-paced effort, going through halfway in 1:16:03 and moving up from 14th place.
Health - Injuries Deena Kastor, the 41-year-old American record holder who was hoping to run 2:25 or 2:26 before anyone knew what the weather would hold. She finished 11th in 2:33:18.
“When I lost contact with the leaders I was by myself for quite a ways,” Kastor said. “I gave it the best that I had.”
Kara Goucher struggled in her return to marathoning after suffering a stress fracture last year. She stuck with the lead pack through eight miles before dropping back and finishing 14th Meb Fights His Way to Fourth.
The 2025 Marathon and Half Marathon Calendar.
“My coach felt like I had no choice but to stick my nose in and get as much wind coverage as I could,” she said. “It was that or run by myself. That’s what we were debating all the last two days. Do I time trial or do I go with it? I went with it, but I thought it would be slower. I had help for 8 miles, and I didn’t see splits, and then I got a split of 5:29 and I was like, ‘All right. I’m probably going to suffer.’ And I did.”
Goucher found herself completely alone, minutes behind her nearest competitors.
“It was just a struggle,” she said, the tears falling anew. “It’s not a position I’ve been in before. It wasn’t fun.”
Goucher says she will not run the Boston Marathon in April and instead plans to focus on the track and 5Ks and 10Ks, with an aim of making the U.S. team for the world championships next summer. After that, she’ll target another fall marathon.
“I’m disappointed,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”
In the crowd, Emma Coburn, who is the U.S. record holder in the 3,000m steeplechase and one of Goucher’s training partners in Boulder, Colorado, was looking to find and comfort her friend.
“She’s the kind when it’s a great race or a bad race, whatever the result, she’s pretty emotional about it, because it is such a big effort,” Coburn said about Goucher. “I think she puts 100 percent effort into being successful at this. She works very hard, but she wears her emotions on her sleeve and that’s what’s so endearing about her and why people love her.”
Races & Places
Main Story: For Top Runners Spouses, a Nervous Waiting Game
Men's Recap: Kipsang Surges Over Last Mile to Win
Women's Recap: Mary Keitany Pulls Away at End
U.S. Men: How to Watch the NCAA XC Championships
U.S. Women: Desi Linden Leads the Way
Tennis star: Running Shoes - Gear
Other Notables: NYC Breaks Record for Number of Finishers
On Social: Runners Photos from the 2014 Races & Places
Slideshow: What You Need to Know About the Sydney Marathon
Slideshow: Races & Places Post-Race Emotions
Slideshow: The 2025 Marathon and Half Marathon Calendar
Slideshow: Runners' Photos from the 2014 Races & Places
Notebook: Other Hearst Subscriptions
Postrace:in 2:37:03. At the press conference after the race, Goucher was tearful describing her race
Postrace: Brooklyn Mother is Millionth NYC Marathon Finisher
PREVIOUSLY
Families:For Top Runners’ Spouses, a Nervous Waiting Game
Perspective: Meb Fights His Way to Fourth
Strategy:What You Need to Know About the Sydney Marathon
Caroline Wozniacki has impressive debut
Goucher found herself completely alone, minutes behind her nearest competitors is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
