Marathon · 2000s onward

Des Linden

Spent the early miles expecting to drop out, and won.

2:39:54

Boston winner, 2018, in a storm

The conditions

Boston 2018 was cold, raining, and into a headwind. The winning time was slower than the field was capable of by a wide margin, because the day took that much out of everyone. Plenty of elite runners did not finish.

Planning to quit

She has said she spent the early miles expecting to drop out. Rather than hiding that, she told Shalane Flanagan she would help her while she was still out there, and waited at a water stop for her.

Then the race came back

She kept running. Everyone else's day fell apart faster than hers did, and at some point she was in front. She did not hold a brave pace through a storm. She stayed present in the race she was handed and was still in position when it turned.

Eight years of nearly

In 2011 she lost Boston by two seconds. She kept coming back to the same race, year after year, with the same unglamorous approach, until it was hers.

What to steal

Keep showing up, including on the day you are fairly sure you are going to quit.

Where they come up

Checkpoint 03The Voice in Your HeadWon Boston in 2018 in cold, rain and a headwind, on a day she has said she spent the early miles expecting to drop out. She stayed in it, helped a teammate at the water stops while she was at it, and was still there when the race came back to her. Her line about the whole thing is worth stealing: keep showing up.

All 26 case studies. Profiles are factual and drawn from the public record. Where a performance carries an asterisk, this app says so rather than leaving it out.