Japanese “citizen runner” Yuki Kawauchi wins Boston Marathon

After a dozen attempts, Jennifer McAlister couldn’t have been more thrilled to finally qualify for the famous Boston Marathon in 2013. Then, the native Californian who lives in MI realized she was better suited for the conditions than anyone else on the course.

Yee-Haw Brewing’s General Manager David McDaniel told us it was an awesome experience, and the most accomplished he’s ever felt after a race.

So when she started passing some of Boston’s elite runners in Monday’s soggy conditions she, too, was “in complete disbelief”. “She’s a little bit taller, so you’d think the wind would be detrimental, but she’s really strong”.

“Everyone is looking for that 1 percent”.

Sellers ran her first marathon in September of past year in Huntsville – and she set a course record in the process.

She said she eases into it by starting at 70 miles per week and then adding more miles to her running. She said that ‘I’m OK with the bad weather.

Japanese veteran Yuki Kawauchi and American Desiree Linden claimed the men’s and women’s titles respectively at the Boston Marathon under wet and chilly conditions on Monday.

Linden, a 34-year-old who lives in MI, wowed commentators when she waited for Shalane Flanagan while her teammate made a quick toilet break 45 minutes into the race.

Better than the East Africans, who have dominated the race for the past three decades. Linden almost ended the drought in 2011 when she was outkicked down Boylston Street and finished second by 2 seconds.

In the women’s race, Kenya missed out on the podium as United States’ Desiree Linden became the first American since 1985 to win the race, clocking 2:39:54.

Kawauchi’s was the slowest winning time since 1976; Linden’s was the slowest women’s winning time since 1978.

After years of trying, Linden said she’s finally gotten her fairytale ending.

“I am going to get some down time”, said Hyland, who teaches Spanish at Phillips.

However, Sellers produced the race of her life in atrocious weather to finish in 2hrs 44min 04sec. “It’s storybook. I’m thrilled to be here and win the race”, Linden said. “No matter what the conditions”.

April 16, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; Geoffrey Kirui looks back at Yuki Kawauchi on the 2018 Boston Marathon course.

She’s run Boston before, many times, and lost by two seconds in 2011.

“When you work together, you never know what’s going to happen”, Linden told NBC Sports after the race.

“I kept hitting refresh on the race results”, he recalled. “How could it be real”, she said in an interview with WFAA this week.