Des Linden, Sarah Sellers To Compete In Philadelphia Half
The 2018 Boston Marathon’s top two female finishers will meet again at the Philadelphia Half Marathon on September 16.
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Boston’s Top 2 Finishers To Meet Again In Philadelphia
The Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon Series announced last week that Des Linden and Sarah Sellers, who finished first and second, respectively, at the 2018 Boston Marathon, will meet again sooner than their expected TCS New York City Marathon matchup—this time at the 13.1-mile distance. The news came just five days after New York Road Runners announced that Linden and Sellers would join the professional fields at the NYC Marathon on November 4, making the Philadelphia Half on September 16 a well-timed tune-up for them both.
This won’t be the first time the two have competed since Boston; that race came earlier this summer, when Linden and Sellers joined third-place 2018 Boston Marathon finisher Krista DuChene at the starting line of the NYRR New York Mini 10K in New York City on June 9. Though none of them finished within the top 10, they did finish only 38 seconds apart, with Linden placing 14th in 35:12, Sellers placing 17th and DuChene placing 18th.
“I’ve enjoyed the post-Boston victory tour, but I’ve been itching to get back to racing,” Linden said in an official press release. “I can’t wait to head to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon to test out the legs and find out where I’m at with my fall marathon training. With the fast course and stellar competition, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon always brings, it will be the perfect jumpstart to my fall racing season.”
Kellyn Taylor, who won the Grandma’s Marathon in June with a time of 2:24:28 (securing her spot as the seventh-fastest female American marathoner in history) will round out the American field in Philadelphia. The race begins on Benjamin Franklin Parkway and ends at the Philadelphia Art Museum, making it one of the faster and flatter courses that attracts professional runners (such as Jordan Hasay in 2017 and Neely Spence Gracey in 2016) every September. To learn more about this year’s race, visit the official event website.
Related:
2018 NYC Marathon Pro Women’s Fields Announced
10 Things To Know About Boston Marathon Winner Desiree Linden