814. Des Linden, Western States Endurance Run Pacer

Ali on the Run Show

Ali Feller

Run, Health & Fitness, Women, Inspiration, Runner, Entrepreneur, Sports, Fitness, Health, Running

4.9 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 11 June 2025

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"I’m laser focused. This is serious."

She's the 2018 Boston Marathon champion. She's the co-host of Nobody Asked Us with Des and Kara. She's one of the most admired, most accomplished, and most respected distance runners of our time, and now, Des is taking it to the trails. After running her final professional marathon in Boston in April, Des's next big adventure will be pacing friend Joe McConaughy at the Western States Endurance Run in just a few weeks. In this conversation, Des talks about what her pacing duties will entail, what training camp was like, and what's exciting her right now.

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In this episode:

What life has been like since the 2025 Boston Marathon — Des’s final professional marathon (2:25)
Will we see Des at the big fall marathons? (5:30)
Des’s parting thoughts on the 2025 Boston Marathon (7:25)
Des’s introduction to all things Western States (16:25)
The WSER pacing plan (21:15)
Which races are on Des’s radar now (25:45)
How Des sees her role in the trail running community (27:00)
Des’s pacing resumé (29:20)
How much do you know about what that day pacing will look like? (35:35)
What Des is looking forward to most about Western States (41:15)
The athletes Des admires in the trail world (43:40)
The road racing athletes Des thinks we should all be watching (47:25)
Some of the key takeaways from Des and Kara Goucher’s Save the 10,000 event — including 1,800 people participating in the virtual event (51:10)

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Allie on the Run show. I'm your host Allie Feller and this is where I talk
0:08.8	with people who are doing exciting things on the run and beyond. From professional athletes and
0:14.4	celebrity runners to the everyday amateur and back of the pack runner, we are here to celebrate
0:19.5	everyone and anyone who enjoys a life
0:22.2	on the run. Whether you are running towards something big or away from something that's been
0:27.0	holding you back, I am here to hold your hand and help you pick up the pace. My guest today
0:32.3	is Deslinan. Do you need me to introduce you to Des? No, I doubt it. But she deserves an introduction,
0:38.3	don't you think? Deslinan is the 2018 Boston Marathon champion. She is an Olympian. She is the co-host
0:46.1	of the Nobody Asked Us podcast with Kara Goucher. And now, Des is headed to the trails. In just a few
0:53.3	weeks, Desland London will make her Western
0:55.5	States debut, sort of. She's dipping her toes in the Western States world, and she will be
1:01.6	holding down pacing duties. In this conversation, we get to hear about how this all came together,
1:07.4	about Des' expectations in the Trail and Ultrasines, and about what's exciting
1:12.5	Des right now.
1:14.3	On the morning of this year's Boston Marathon, Dez announced, with an ad in the Boston
1:18.2	Globe a decidedly baller move, that Boston would be her final professional marathon.
1:23.9	She is not retiring, but Boston earmarked and cemented Des' legacy in the road racing world.
1:30.0	We had a lot to catch up on, so please enjoy this conversation with Deslinan. Dez Lyndon, I would say fan favorite, but really just kind of everyone's favorite.
1:54.5	We love you so much. Thanks for being here, Des. Welcome to the Allie on the Run show for We Did the Math, number 80.
2:02.0	Thanks for having me for the 80th time.
2:03.9	Still feels like the first time.
2:05.6	So, happy to be your alley.
	...

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