Desiree Linden Wants To Be The First American Woman To Win The Boston Marathon Since 1985

Desiree Linden has made no secret about her desire to win the Boston Marathon.

The leading American contender in next month's race has been training on the course this week to get ready, and she clearly has the ability to be the woman standing atop the podium on April 17 -- something no American woman has done since 1985.

Linden, who is based in Rochester, Michigan, with the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, has come close to being the U.S. runner to break that long dry spell. In the 2011 Boston Marathon, she finished second by a scant 2 seconds, and in 2015 she was placed fourth. Her time in the 2011 — 2 hours, 22 minutes, 38 seconds — remains her personal best.

Last summer at the Olympics in Rio Linden added further evidence she belongs among the list of the world's leading female marathoners, with a seventh place finish.

"I think for American distance fans, the women are due. We've been knocking on the door for a long time."

Desiree Linden

"[Boston has] been the big one for a long time," Linden said in an interview after helping unveil the new Boston Marathon banners on Boylston Street Tuesday morning. "It would feel like redemption for 2011, being so close. And just getting it right would be great. But I think for American distance fans, the women are due. We've been knocking on the door for a long time."

Linden said Meb Keflezighi's win in 2014, the year after the bombings, "changed the sport and brought more eyes to the city, and I think it's the women's time. If it's not this year, it's going to be really soon."

Keflezighi's emotional victory three years ago was the first by an American man since Greg Meyer in 1983.

To join Keflezighi as a history maker, Linden has been training extremely hard, running more than 100 miles a week. Last weekend she put in a solid effort at the New York Half Marathon. Linden finished seventh, behind two world class runners who also figure to be among the favorites in this year's Boston Marathon — Diane Nukuri of Burundi and Kenya's Edna Kiplagat.

But Linden is the kind of runner who's more competitive running 26.2 miles rather than 13.1, so based on that and where she is in her training, Linden says last Sunday's performance "was right where I needed to be."

Linden needs no introduction to the grueling 26.2-mile course from Hopkinton to Boston, but despite knowing it so well, there's still a benefit to training on it again.

"I think there's always things to learn on the course, just kind of refresh your mind," she said. "So there's a lot to take away from it and then just being in the city and being excited about the landmarks and the whole thing just fires you up for the last month."