Desi Linden Made History at the Boston Marathon — Even After Stopping For a Fellow Runner

It's been over three decades since an American woman has won the women's division of the Boston Marathon. On April 16, that all changed with Desiree Linden: the 34-year-old Olympic long-distance runner came in first with an unofficial time of 2:39:54. Lisa Larsen Weidenback was the last American woman to win the race in 1985. "I'm thrilled. I'm exhausted. I left it all out there," Linden told WBZ-TV. "It hurts right now, but it's a perfect day for me."

Apart from making history, Linden also made headlines when she stopped for her fellow runner Shalane Flanagan during a bathroom break. According to reporters on the scene, Linden waited on the sidelines as Flanagan used the restroom in an apparent move to make the competition more fair. In 2017, Flanagan herself made history as the first American woman to win the NYC Marathon in 40 years. In Boston, however, it was Linden who came out on top.

Epic. @des_linden for the win. 33 years coming. Back to back huge American women wins @bostonmarathon @nycmarathon pic.twitter.com/SshBCJYfnB

— Mary Wittenberg (@marywitt) April 16, 2018