USA's Linden, Japan's Kawauchi Win Wet, Windy Boston Marathon
BOSTON (CBSNewYork/AP) - Desiree Linden splashed her way through the icy rain and a near-gale headwind to a Boston Marathon victory Monday, the first American woman to win the race since 1985.
The two-time Olympian and 2011 Boston runner-up pulled away at the end of Heartbreak Hill and ran alone through Brookline to finish in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 39 minutes, 54 seconds. That's the slowest time for a women's winner since 1978.
Japan's Yuki Kawauchi surged with a mile to go to overtake Geoffrey Kirui to win the men's race on Monday.
Kawauchi crossed the finish line in an unofficial time of 2:15:58. He becomes the first Japanese man to win Boston since 1987, when Seko Toshihiko won the title.
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Kawauchi said through an interpreter that the wind and cold were the "best conditions possible" for the race.
Kenya's Geoffrey Kirui was second in 2:18:20, followed by American Shadrack Biwott in 2:18:35.
It is the first major title for Kawauchi. Kawauchi sprinted out to an early lead before falling back. He surged several times during the race.
A field of 30,000 runners fought drenching rain, temperatures in the mid-30s and gusts of up to 32 mph on the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Copley Square.
A crowd of fans —thinned and muffled by the weather— greeted Linden with chants of "U-S-A!"
The city held a moment of silence Sunday to mark five years since the deadly Boston Marathon bombing. Three spectators were killed.
A police officer was also shot and killed during a confrontation with one of the suspects.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
