Boston Marathon 2018 - The Women's Race

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The 122nd Running of the Boston Marathon - The Women's Race
by John Elliott

The Women's Race - Setup... And the Best American Marathoner Is?
When we first saw the elite field list for the 2018 Boston Marathon, our thoughts were:
1) What a Great Field,
2) What a Great American Field!

The Boston Marathon always does a great job of bringing together a top quality field. Boston also supports and provides opportunities for American runners in particular. But for 2018, the Boston Marathon had outdone itself. The race brought together virtually all of the best American Marathoners. And, beyond the question of could an American beat the some of the best from Kenya and Ethiopia, the question was who was the best female American marathoner. Of the top women in the USA, only one was missing from the 2018 Boston Marathon field: Amy Cragg who had run a great third-place 2:21:42 finish at the Tokyo Marathon. Most wondered, could an American win the Boston Marathon, and if so, which one. Would it be:

• Jordan Hasay - the 26-year old phenom who was training with Alberto Salazar and had run two previous marathons: 2:23:00 for third-place at the 2017 Boston Marathon and 2:20:57 for third-place at the 2017 Chicago Marathon
• Shalane Flanagan - the 2008 Olympic 10,000m silver medalist who had run a 2:21:14 marathon and was coming to Boston as the reigning New York City Marathon champion
• Molly Huddle - the multiple American record-holder who had run just one previous marathon, a third-place finish at the 2016 New York City Marathon. But Huddle was coming to Boston after having set the American record in the Half Marathon in January 2018 - she should be ready.
• Desiree Linden... Honestly, Linden was not anyone's choice for top American woman. A very solid performer, Linden had never won a marathon and had always finished her races behind one of the other women mentioned above....

photo: Victah Sailer/PhotoRun Desiree Davila, Serena Burla & Shalane Flanagan in the rain...

The Weather - Again
Weather in April in Boston can be hot or cold. Often there is a wind - most often a headwind, but occasionally a tailwind. And on occasion the rains have kicked up on what is affectionately called a Nor'Easter. And as Boston is a point-to-point course run in virtually a straight line from West to East, any weather can compound as it affects the runners in the same direction throughout the entire race.

For 2018, the weather forecasters were calling for the perfect storm: a confluence of brutally cold weather, heavy headwinds and torrential rains. No one was prepared for what the day would bring and the race made concessions we had never seen before: at the starting line, race officials provided additional bib numbers to runners to place on top of additional layers of clothing and encouraged the runners to keep their warm up gear on. For the first time ever, we saw the professional athletes running in jackets - and sometimes even plastic bags... A few of the women weren't prepared and started the race as they might any other day: with skimpy running tops, bare shoulders, etc. - those runners dropped out.

photo: Victah Sailer/PhotoRun Flanagan Takes a Porta-Potty Break at Mile 11

To Drop Out or Not
Post-race, the runners told us how bad the day was and how they felt during the run. The most intersting commentary came from the toughest woman in the field and eventual victor, Desiree Davila. Davila told us that at the start of the race she felt terrible and was planning to drop out. Davila told her compatriot and race favorite, Shalane Flanagan, that she was planning to drop out and if there was anything she could do for Flanagan before that she would. Before mile 11, we saw Davila and Flanagan talking again and Flanagan thereafter stopping for a break at a porta-potty. Apparently, on such a cold day Flanagan took her standard pre-race and early miles regimen but without sweating on the cold day, the fluids had to go somewher (i.e., the porta-potty). Davila, knowing she would drop out, held back and waited for Flanagan - and when Flanagan emerged back onto the course, Davila - having sacrificed herself - helped work to run with Flanagan back to the lead pack.

photo: Victah Sailer/PhotoRun Desiree Davila Passes Gladys Chesir

Davila Takes Over Lead and Runs for Her Life...
By mile 15, Davila realized she was in third or fourth place and told us that point she realized she could not drop out, although she still wanted to. Mamitu Daska had run away from the field and was running alone into the wind with an expanding 30 second lead. Davila worked with defending champion Edna Kiplagat and when Kiplagat slowed continued onward with Gladys Chesir to not allow the gap with Daska to grow. By mile 22, Daska seemed to have a comfortable lead with Chesir having gained five seconds on Davila who seemed destined for third place. But Davila truly is one of the toughest women runners and powered on. The elements humbled Daska who relinquished the lead to Chesir by mile 21 but soon thereafter Davila had caught and was passing Chesir. Davila - tough but not the fastest sprinter knew she had to gain as much of a lead on Chesir as possible and pushed along as hard as she could.

photo: Victah Sailer/PhotoRun Desiree Davila Wins the Boston Marathon

Davila Wins + More North Americans!
Turning right onto Hereford Street, Davila did not know how big her lead was but she told us that at that point she heard the fans cheering her on in a fashion that said: "you are going to win," and not the dreaded fashion that says: "quick, she's gaining." Unbeknownst to Davila, her competition had been beaten by the elements and dropped out. Ultimately, Davila managed the win in 2:39:54, the slowest finish time since 1978 (pre-the professional era) and also the first American female to win the Boston Marathon since Lisa Rainsberger (then Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach) won the race in 1985.

Linden ran hard to ensure that none of the African competitors that she had run away from would catch her. But only somewhat surprisingly, the Africans had nearly all dropped out in the terrible conditions. Ultimately, Linden won with a more than four minute cushion. Coming second to Linden was Sarah Sellers whose personal best of 2:41 barely qualified her for the elite women's wave and whose bib number - 42 - identified exactly where the event thought she might finish. In third place was Krista Duchene, a 41 year old Canadian runner and also a surprise to finish top three.

When the dust had cleared, North Americans (including the third-place Canadian) had earned thirdteen of the top fifteen spots in the race. Only one African finished in the top 15: defending champion Edna Kiplagat in eighth place. And one other non-American made it to the top 15: Hiroko Yoshitomi in ninth place.

Most considered this arguably the toughest Boston Marathon of all-time. And, despite what will appear as slow times on paper, we will consider Desiree Linden one of the toughest Boston Marathon champions of all time.

Top Finishers:
1. Desiree Linden (USA) 2:39:54 - $150,000
2. Sarah Sellers (USA) 2:44:04 - $75,000
3. Krista Duchene (CAN) 2:44:20 - $40,000
4. Rachel Hyland (USA) 2:44:29 - $25,000
5. Nicole Dimercurio (USA) 2:45:52 - $15,000
6. Shalane Flanagan (USA) 2:46:31 - $12,000
7. Kimi Reed (USA) 2:46:47 - $9,000
8. Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 2:47:14 - $7,400
9. Hiroko Yoshitomi (JPN) 2:48:29 - $5,700
10. Joanna Thompson (USA) 2:48:31 - $4,200
11. Dot Mcmahan (USA) 2:48:57 - $2,600
12. Margaret Vido (USA) 2:50:11 - $2,100
13. Molly Huddle (USA) 2:50:28 - $1,800
14. Serena Burla (USA) 2:53:03 - $1,700
15. Kelly Calway (USA) 2:54:00 - $1,500