Des Linden Gets Her 1st World Record, Runs 50K World Best of 2:59:54

Entering today’s Brooks Running 50K and Marathon in rural Oregon, American Des Linden — and just about everyone else — expected herself to break the 50K world best of 3:07:20 set by Great Britain’s Aly Dixon in 2019. Besting the mark would require Linden to average just under 6:02 per mile — or 2:38:05 for a marathon plus another five miles — well within the capabilities of Linden, a 2:22:38 marathoner (Dixon’s best in 17 marathons is 2:29:06). Less certain: whether Linden would become the first woman under 3:00.

Linden, the 2018 Boston Marathon champ who came two seconds shy of winning the Boston in 2011 and 11 seconds short of making her third Olympic team at the US Olympic Trials in 2020, knows the feeling of just missing a major milestone. Today, she got to experience the other side of it, running 2:59:54 (5:47/mile) to destroy Dixon’s record and, in the process, sneak under that coveted 3:00 mark.

This Vlog / Podcast documents my Sixth Decade of Endurance Training. The past Decade was about HOW FAR I could go.  This Decade will be about HOW FAST can I go post Congestive Heart Failure. https://linktr.ee/AND3RSON