Des and Yuki are returning to the Boston Marathon

The 2018 men’s and women’s champions will return to Boston for the 2019 race. The race announced on Monday morning that the surprise winners of 2018, Des Linden and Yuki Kawauchi would be returning. 

Last year, they were outliers. This year, they’re defending champs. We’re proud to support @des_linden and Yuki Kawauchi as they chase another victory in the 2019 #BostonMarathon. pic.twitter.com/XNtslxq3oE

— John Hancock (@johnhancockusa) December 10, 2018

The 2018 Boston Marathon saw some of the worst conditions in the history event, and a shocking 23 elite runners who dropped from the race. 

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Linden and Kawauchi had stunning performances in 2018 despite the conditions. Linden has since finished six at the 2018 New York City Marathon, and Kawauchi has completed a number of marathons following his performance, including a half-marathon only six days after his win. 

Kawauchi is famously unusual in his incorporation of “ultra long-distance jogging” (over-distance training at a slow pace) into his training, something few world-major elites do. Some believe it’s his secret weapon, though others are skeptical of its value in marathon training.

RELATED: In the words of the Boston Marathon champ Des Linden: “Keep showing up”

Some days it just flows and I feel like I’m born to do this, other days it feels like I’m trudging through hell. Every day I make the choice to show up and see what I’ve got, and to try and be better.

My advice: keep showing up.#MondayMotivaton #TogetherForward

— des_linden (@des_linden) March 5, 2018

Linden won the 2018 race by four and a half minutes. She’s been a staple on the American distance running scene for years, and with a personal best of 2:22:38 from Boston in 2011, Linden has good luck at the race. The 2019 event will be Linden’s seventh appearance at the Boston Marathon. 

.@MarcelEricHug and @TatyanaMcFadden were already #BostonMarathon champions. In 2018, they became legends. We can’t wait to see what they have in store this year. pic.twitter.com/sjWZjwJQEU

— John Hancock (@johnhancockusa) December 10, 2018

The 2018 wheelchair champions will also be returning for 2019. Marcel Hug of Switzerland and Tatyana McFadden of the US will come back to defend their titles in the spring.