Olympic marathoner Desiree Linden to run OUC Orlando Half Marathon for charity
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Two-time Olympian and Boston Marathon winner Desiree Linden will start last in the OUC Orlando Half Marathon this December, raising money for local youth with every runner she passes during the 13.1-mile race.
“I’ll start in last place, which is what I’m not used to, which is a great spot, no pressure. But the pressure comes on with every single person I pass,” Linden said.
For every runner she overtakes, $5 will be donated to the Track Shack Youth Foundation, which benefits children in the community.
“I want to win from last place, but I think that’s a stretch. But I will be out there just trying to rip by people,” she said.
Linden is no stranger to breaking records. In 2018, she ended America’s 33-year drought at the Boston Marathon, winning the female division with a time of 2 hours, 39 minutes, and 54 seconds—a pace of under 6 minutes and 13 seconds per mile.
“In 2011, I was second by two seconds, and [that] became a huge motivation for a long stretch,” Linden said.
She also competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and recently ran the 2024 time trials in Orlando.
“It’s always a treat to get to Orlando. I live in Michigan, so getting out of the cold is a win that time of year,” she said.
Linden has also ventured into ultramarathons, completing a self-supported race in the Moroccan desert earlier this year.
“We took a bus ride out to the middle of the Moroccan desert, and it was a lot of sand running, and so it was a self-supported race over five or six days,” she said.
Her next ultramarathon, a 100-mile race in one day, is scheduled just a month before the OUC Orlando Half Marathon.
When asked about her pacing strategy for the Orlando race, Linden said, “That’s a great question. That’s very TBD. We might have to circle back after that 100-miler and make sure I’m in one piece.”
With her competitive spirit and history of success, Linden’s participation is sure to make the OUC Orlando Half Marathon’s 50th year memorable.