In this episode of Hurdle, host Emily Abbate sits down with two-time Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden for a conversation about redefining limits. Fresh off completing the legendary Marathon des Sables (MDS)—a grueling, self-supported 167-mile stage race across the Sahara Desert—Des takes listeners directly inside her tent.

She shares the realities of surviving on grit, managing endless blisters, and navigating the longest run of her life: a staggering 62-mile day. Des breaks down the exact mindset it takes to avoid "negotiation mode" when the going gets tough and explains how her recent transition into the ultra-trail world has altered her relationship with the sport. Plus, she gives us a behind-the-scenes look at running the Boston Marathon as a "commoner" alongside her husband, Ryan, and her recent trip to the London Marathon.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• The Reality of MDS: Why Des swapped the roads of Michigan for the Sahara, how she managed self-supported gear, and what it’s really like to share a rudimentary tent with seven other runners.

• Silencing the Inner Negotiator: Des outlines her mental strategy for pushing through low moments and why reaching a state of self-pity only slows down forward momentum.

• The Blister Protocol: A look at managing the inevitable physical toll of a multi-day desert race and choosing to stay positive through the discomfort.

• Boston as a one of us: What it felt like to start further back in the corrals, weave through massive crowds, and burn extra matches to finish right before her husband, Ryan.

• The Next Chapter: Des chats about her strategic pivot to media and storytelling with her podcast Nobody Asked Us, her upcoming plans for the Chicago Marathon, and her sights set on the Havlina 100.

QUOTABLE MOMENTS

• "The guardrails are off. Let's see where this goes."

• "This is literally what you signed up for... make the decisions to make the right choices because that's really what the event for me is all about."

• "As soon as we start to feel sorry for ourselves, it's like, you're just not going to be productive. So, take the little wins."

• "No one's going to fight for you as much as you... if you're not believing in yourself even more than everyone else, you've got to really think about what you're doing." 

SOCIAL
@des_linden
@emilyabbate
@iheartwomenssports

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ASK ME A QUESTION: Email hello@hurdle.us to with your questions! Emily answers them every Friday on the show. 

Listen to Hurdle with Emily Abbate on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.