Choosing to Run

An inspirational memoir from Olympian and Boston Marathon winner Des Linden, Choosing to Run tells her personal story while motivating others to live their best lives. The book encourages readers to create a supportive personal and professional team, build their own personal business model and brand, and accomplish their biggest goals and dreams in work and life, even when faced with challenges and they're "closing the final 10K."

Featuring both the story of a historic, unforgettable win and insight into the life of an indelible champion, Choosing to Run is a truly inspirational memoir. Des shares what motivates her to keep showing up and how she overcame obstacles to achieve success.

When Des woke up on April 16, 2018, the morning of the Boston Marathon, it was 39 degrees and raining, with high, gusty winds. The weather didn't bother her; she saw it as a possible blessing. Far from peak form, recovering from illness, and questioning her running future, she did not expect much of herself that day.

As she ticked off mile after mile in the brutal conditions, passing familiar landmarks on the course she knew by heart, something shifted. Opportunity unexpectedly presented itself. Des tapped into her inner strength and remembered all the reasons she loved to race.

Coming off Heartbreak Hill at Mile 22, Des took the lead and never relinquished it, becoming the 2018 Boston Marathon champion and the first American woman to win the race in thirty-three years.

Her career has always been defined by tenacity and an independent spirit, stretching back to her first competitive race in San Diego, when she beat better-outfitted, more experienced kids. As a two-time All-American at Arizona State University, Des decided she wasn't done with the sport as her collegiate years wound down. She gambled on herself and moved to Michigan to pursue professional running. Rising through the elite ranks, she became increasingly determined to do things her way in an industry often bound by the status quo.

In her first book, readers will learn the story behind that resolve—the way Des trains, the way she thinks, her relationships with other great runners of her generation, and how much she values her family and friends. They'll read about her deep connection to the most famous marathon in the world, her two very different Olympic experiences, and how she defined new goals and set a world record in the 50-kilometre distance.

Most of all, readers will learn what makes Des get up and run every day.