Des Linden won the 2018 Boston Marathon in the rain, in one of the most iconic performances in the history of the race. She has made two Olympic teams, run more Boston Marathons than most people can count, and built one of the most recognizable names in the sport. And by her own admission, the most interesting part of her running life is happening right now.
In a recent conversation on For the Long Run, Des opened up about what it actually feels like to step back from elite road racing, why she is drawn to trail and ultra, and how she thinks about competing when the finish line looks completely different than it used to.
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On letting go of the marathon
Des was honest about the moment she knew it was time. She could see exactly what the next three or four years on the roads would look like. She knew the training. She knew the times she could run. And she asked herself whether it was worth her time to keep doing it.
The thing that pushed her over the edge was a concept she borrowed from Jake Riley. No more next time. Either you have the performance in you or you move on. She went into her last Boston with that mindset and gave everything she had. And then she was done.
What she describes is something a lot of runners will recognize. The drug of hope. The feeling that next time you will tweak this and adjust that and finally get the race you know you have in you. The hardest part, she says, is not the physical decline. It is breaking the cycle of believing the next one will be different.
On trail and what drew her there
The transition to trail has not been accidental. Des has been deliberate about it, choosing events that force her to think completely differently about training and preparation. The Marathon des Sables was the first big one. Six days through the Sahara carrying your own pack, running in heat on sand. Everything about it was designed to take her away from the comparisons she might otherwise make showing up to Boston as a spectator.
She is honest that part of the appeal is the storytelling. MDS produces extraordinary content. The visuals alone make people stop and pay attention. But she is also genuinely curious about what her body can do in a completely different environment.
Western States is on her radar. She knows the odds. She is in her forties, the sport is getting faster, and she is not under any illusions about where she will finish. But she loves to compete. She loves to train hard. And as long as her body lets her, she is going to keep showing up.
On reframing competition
This is the part of the conversation that will stay with you longest if you are a runner in your thirties, forties, or beyond.
Des thought the transition away from elite road racing would be harder than it has been. And what has made it easier is trail. Because trail takes the comparison game off the table almost completely. You are preparing differently, training differently, showing up differently. There is no version of yourself from ten years ago to measure against.
She also talks about the joy of being able to run far. Of appreciating that she can still cover big miles at a pace that would humble most people. Of choosing events and adventures based on what genuinely excites her rather than what her body is capable of at its absolute limit.
For anyone who has ever struggled with slowing down or stepping back from a goal they have chased for years, Des offers something rare. Not advice exactly. Just an honest account of what it feels like from the inside. And a reminder that the next chapter does not have to be smaller than the one before it. It just has to be yours.
Listen to the full conversation with Des Linden on For the Long Run, available wherever you get your podcasts.
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About Jon Levitt and For The Long Run
Jon is a runner, cyclist, and podcast host from Boston, MA, who now lives in Boulder, CO. For The Long Run is aimed at exploring the why behind what keeps runners running long, strong, and motivated.
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