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WOMEN’S PREVIEW: Desi Linden looks to end American drought at the Boston Marathon

Desiree Linden is a possible candidate to end the American women's drought at the Boston Marathon. She will be in tough with past winners, world champions and national record holders in the field.

Desi Linden
Desi Linden
Photo: Randy Miyazaki.

An American woman has not won the Boston Marathon since 1985.

Desiree Linden, who finished second in 2011, will look to end the home country’s drought at the world’s most famous marathon on Monday. The 33-year-old will be in tough, both from international competition and from fellow Americans.

The defending champion, Atsede Baysa of Ethiopia, is in the 2017 field but she is not the fastest when comparing lifetime bests. Kenya’s Gladys Cherono and Edna Kiplagat have run faster than 2:20; so has Ethiopian and 2014 Boston Marathon champion Buzunesh Deba, who holds the course record at 2:19:59. Kiplagat is a two-time world champion in the marathon. In comparison, Linden has a lifetime best of 2:22:38 though Boston is often a race that is won in a slower time when compared to other flatter big-city marathons. (Get to know more about the top-five women’s elites here.)

Last year, for example, Baysa won Boston in 2:29:19, seven minutes slower than her personal best. Pacing strategies often come into play because of the undulating course and late-race challenges, most famously Heartbreak Hill, which is part of the broader Newton Hills.

Boston Marathon
Atsede Baysa wins the 2016 Boston Marathon. Photo: Michael Doyle.

If there are westerly winds, however, that could change the dynamic of the race as in 2011 the Boston Marathon produced some of the fastest times in history including a men’s world best (2:03:02) by Geoffrey Mutai. (The course is not record-eligible as it’s net downhill and the start and finish lines are not in close proximity.)

Another interesting name to look out for is American Jordan Hasay, who trains with Alberto Salazar and the Nike Oregon Project, the same group as Canadian Cam Levins, Americans Shannon Rowbury and Galen Rupp and Brit Mo Farah. The third-fastest American ever in the half-marathon will be making her marathon debut in Boston. The 25-year-old ran 67:55 for the half-marathon in Prague at the beginning of April though it remains to be seen whether her road success over 21.1K will extend to double that distance.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSuCw7FgjGr/?taken-by=jordanhasay

The winners of the Boston Marathon take home US$150,000 each with prize money trickling down to the 15th-place finishers. The winner of the masters divisions win US$10,000 each.

For Canadian content, watch for Rachel Hannah, the 2015 Pan Am Games bronze medallist, to better her personal best of 2:32:09, which she ran in Houston in 2016. Hannah, 30, is the highest profile Canadian in the field; Eric Gillis, who was 10th at the Olympics, was a late withdrawal from the race after sustaining an Achilles injury.

There are three other Canadian elites in the field in addition to Hannah. They are Shelley Doucet, Lisa Bentley and Christy Lovig, all of who will start in the elite corral. The women’s elite field gets underway at 9:32 a.m. EDT on Monday from Hopkinton, Mass. The finish line is located near Copley Square on Boylston Street in downtown Boston.

Useful Canadian Running content for running the 2017 Boston Marathon

Complete 2017 Boston Marathon coverage
Course preview, race-specific tips and suggestions
Boston Marathon jackets through the years
A beginner’s guide to America’s greatest race
Pre-race workout with Rejean Chiasson
The excitement behind running Boston for the very first time
Eric Gillis out of the 2017 Boston Marathon
Pre-race interview with Rachel Hannah
Michael Bergeron wants to joggle a 3:05 marathon in Boston
Michael Wardian back to Boston two weeks after running the Barkley Marathons
Rejean Chiasson is marathon-ready after five-year break
How to follow the Boston Marathon on Monday

How to follow Canadian Running at the 2017 Boston Marathon

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