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.