FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Des Linden to Race 125th Boston Marathon
2018 champion announced as first member of the John Hancock
Professional Athlete Team
BOSTON- Des Linden, the 2018 Boston Marathon champion and two-time Olympic
marathoner, today announced that she will compete in the 125th Boston
Marathon on Monday, October 11, as part of the John Hancock Professional
Athlete Team. Linden made the announcement at the Boston Marathon finish
line after running in the inaugural Patriots' Day Mile.
"The 125th Boston Marathon is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to race the
Boston Marathon in the fall," said Linden, who will run the Boston Marathon
for the eighth time. "After a hiatus last year, I'm excited to return to
the streets of Boston, in front of the best fans in the world, and take
part in this historic race."
Linden joined five frontline workers and community members in running the
Patriots' Day Mile on Boylston Street earlier today. Patriots' Day is the
traditional day for the Boston Marathon. Upon crossing the finish, Linden
and B.A.A. President and C.E.O. Tom Grilk surprised the group with
invitational entries to October's Boston Marathon in appreciation for their
work and service. Linden thanked the group for their service to the
community and, in the spirit of her mantra, for continuing to show up
during challenging times.
"Des Linden has been part of the Boston Marathon family for more than a
decade, and her 2018 victory is one of the most memorable wins in race
history," said Grilk. "We look forward to Des's return to Boston later this
year and know that she'll be aiming for the top of the podium once again."
A fan favorite, Linden won the 2018 Boston Marathon prevailing through
strong wind and rain to become the first American women's open division
champion since 1985. Linden has finished among the top five at Boston five
times, including a runner-up showing in 2011. Last week, Des set a world
best and national record for the 50K distance, completing 31.07 miles in
2:59:54. She is the first member of the John Hancock Professional Athlete
Team to announce their participation in October's 125th Boston Marathon.
Registration for the 125th Boston Marathon opens tomorrow, April 20 at
10:00AM ET, through the B.A.A.'s online platform Athletes' Village.
Registration for qualified athletes will remain open through 5:00PM ET on
April 23, and entry is not first-come, first-served. The selection process
will remain consistent with prior years: applications and qualifying times
submitted between April 20 and April 23 will be verified and ranked by the
B.A.A. based on the amount of time an athlete has run under their
respective qualifying standard. Applicants will be notified of acceptance
or non-acceptance once the B.A.A. has verified all applications in early
May.
In addition to the in-person road race, the B.A.A. is also holding a
historic virtual Boston Marathon in celebration of the 125th running of the
Boston Marathon. Registration for the virtual race opened on March 30 and
has already seen athletes from 105 countries and all 50 states register.
The virtual marathon will take place over race weekend October 8–10.
ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit
organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through
sports, especially running. The B.A.A. manages the Boston Marathon, and
supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round programming. The
Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with
international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York
City. Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been
John Hancock. The 125th Boston Marathon is scheduled to take place on
Monday, October 11, 2021. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit
www.baa.org.
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