ON THE WOMENS SIDE, DESIREE LINDEN WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN
WOMAN TO WIN IN OVER THREE DECADES. WIN IN OVER THREE
DECADES. >> FOR DESIREE LINDEN, THE
BOSTON MARATHON WAS THE RACE
WHERE SHE FIRST FELL IN LOVE
WITH THE GRUELING DISTANCE, WHEN SHE CONSIDERED GIVING UP THEWHEN
SHE CONSIDERED GIVING UP THE SPORT ENTIRELY.
SPORT ENTIRELY.
NOW, WITH A REMARKABLE WIN, HER CAREER HAS COME FULL-CIRCLE.HER
CAREER HAS COME FULL-CIRCLE. >> ITS BEEN 33 LONG YEARS.
>> Reporter: DESIREE LINDEN
BECOMING THE FIRST AMERICAN
WOMAN TO WIN THE BOSTON MARATHON SINCE 1985.N THE BOSTON MARATHON
SINCE 1985. THE TWO-TIME OLYMPIAN FINISHING
FOUR MINUTES AHEAD OF HER
NEAREST COMPETITOR, DESPITE BRUTAL CONDITIONS AND NOTTE
BRUTAL CONDITIONS AND NOT FEELING LIKE HERSELF.
>> THE CONDITIONS ARE SO BAD,
YOU CAN HURT YOURSELF.
>> ON THIS DAY, IT WAS SURVIVAL
TO BE A CHAMPION. >> Reporter: BUT SHE WEATHERED
THE STORM, CRUSHING THE
COMPETITION AFTER YEARS OF CLOSE
FINISHES IN THE ICONIC RACE.
INCLUDING 2011, WHEN SHE MISSED
WINNING BY JUST TWO SECONDS.
>> THATS TREMENDOUS
SPORTSMANSHIP ON THE PART OF DES
LINDEN.
LINDEN.
>> Reporter: BUT THE WIN WAS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST WIN WAS
ABOUT MORE THAN JUST DETERMINATION, WHEN SHALANE
FLANAGAN STOPPED FOR A BATHROOM
BREAK, AND LINDEN WAITED FOR HER
RIVAL.
RIVAL. DESIREE LINDEN JOINS US NOW.
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> HOW ARE YOU FEELING THE
MORNING AFTER?
MORNING AFTER?
HOW ARE THE LEGS? >> THE LEGS ARE DEAD.
THE REST OF ME, ON CLOUD NINE.
I CANT COMPLAIN TOO MUCH.
>> LEGS HEAVY, HEART IS LIGHT.
THIS IS AMAZING, DES.
YOU ARE THE FIRST AMERICAN WOMAN
TO WIN THE BOSTON MARATHON IN 33
YEARS.
YEARS.
IS THAT SINKING IN?
>> EVERY TIME I HEAR IT, A
LITTLE BIT MORE.
IT SOUNDS INCREDIBLE.
I THINK ITS GOING TO FULLY HIT
ME IN A COUPLE DAYS.
>> ON TWITTER, YOU POSTED THIS PHOTO AND YOU SAY SIXTH TIME IS
THE CHARM.
THE CHARM.
NOT TO GIVE UP, NOT TO QUIT. THERE WAS A POINT DURING THIS
RACE WHEN YOU THOUGHT ABOUT
STOPPING.
STOPPING.
WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT CONVINCED
YOU TO KEEP GOING? >> YEAH.EEP GOING?
>> YEAH. THE WEATHER IS BRUTAL.
IT DIDNT FEEL LIKE IT WAS GOING
TO BE MY DAY.
MY HANDS WERE FREEZING AND MY
BODY WAS TIGHTENING UP.
THERE WAS SO MUCH AMERICAN PRIDE
ON THE LINE. AND I TAPPED SHALANE FLANAGAN, I
SAID I THINK IM GOING TO DROP
OUT.
OUT.
IF YOU WANT ME TO BLOCK THE WIND OR SOMETHING.E TO BLOCK THE WIND
OR SOMETHING. AND IT GAVE ME SOMETHING TO
FOCUS ON BESIDES MYSELF.
>> WHAT A TALE.
THEN, SHALANE FLANAGAN, YOUR
COLLEAGUE, FRIEND, OR FELLOW
RUNNER, STOPS TO USE THE
BATHROOM.
BATHROOM.
DO I GET THIS RIGHT, YOU WAITED
FOR HER DURING THE RACE? >> I SLOWED DOWN.E RACE?
>> I SLOWED DOWN. I DIDNT STOP AND WE DIDNT GO
TO THE BATHROOM TOGETHER, IN
PAIRS.
PAIRS.
IT WASNT A THING LIKE THAT.
>> IT IS A MARATHON.
>> I DID SLOW DOWN AND LOOKED BACK AND MADE SURE WE COULD WORK
TOGETHER TO GET BACK TO THE
GROUP, WHICH HADNT REALLY
PULLED AWAY.
PULLED AWAY. WE NEEDED HELP TO GET EACH OTHER
BACK IN THE GROUP AND BLOCK THE
WIND.
WIND.
I WAS HAPPY TO DO IT. >> AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU
STARTED RUNNING MARATHONS
BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO RUN IN
BOSTON.
BOSTON.
YOU NAMED YOUR DOG AFTER BOSTON. WHAT WAS IT LIKE RUNNING IN THAT
CITY YESTERDAY ON THE FIFTH
ANNIVERSARY OF THOSE BOMBINGS?
>> ITS A SPECIAL CITY AND
THERES SO MUCH HISTORY THERE.
IF YOU DO IT LONG ENOUGH, YOU GO
THROUGH THE HIGHS AND THE LOWS,
JUST LIKE LIFE.
WE CELEBRATE THE GOOD DAYS AND
WE REMEMBER THE TOUGH DAYS.
ITS ALL PART OF THE HISTORY.
YOU KNOW, I THINK TOGETHER
FORWARD WAS THE THEME OF THE
MARATHON THIS YEAR.
AND THAT WAS IT.
IT WAS TAKE ALL OF THAT AND USE
IT IN THE MOST POSITIVE WAY
POSSIBLE.
POSSIBLE.
JUST EMBRACE THE UPS AND DOWNS AND MOVE TOGETHER FORWARD.OWNS
AND MOVE TOGETHER FORWARD. >> JUST IN CASE PEOPLE DONT
KNOW THIS PART OF YOUR STORY,
YOU CAME SO CLOSE IN 2011.
YOU WERE AT THE BOSTON MARATHON
AND GOT SECOND PLACE.
AND IT WAS TWO SECONDS.
THATS TWO SECONDS RIGHT THERE.
THATS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
FIRST AND SECOND PLACE BACK
THEN.
THEN. SO, THIS MUST FEEL SO SWEET.
>> ITS AMAZING.
ITS STORYBOOK STUFF.
IT FEELS FULL CIRCLE.
I STARTED HERE, I HAD A
BREAKTHROUGH HERE AND I HAVE WON
HERE.
HERE.
ITS FANTASTIC.
>> DESIREE LINDEN, THANK YOU FOR SPENDING TIME WITH US THISOU FOR