Boston Marathon 2015: Pac-12 alums capture top American spots
On a day when the weather in Boston was anything but West Coast-like, the Pac-12 represented with strength at the 2015 Boston Marathon.
A pair of alums from the Conference of Champions came through Monday as the top American finishers in both the men's and women's elite races, with Arizona State product Desiree Linden finishing fourth overall and Colorado alum Dathan Ritzenhein seventh.
Battling raw skies, temperatures in the mid 40s and wind along the 26.2-mile course that gusted to nearly 25 miles per hour, a cadre of runners from the Pac-12 – including Linden, Ritzenhein, defending men's Boston champion Meb Keflezighi (UCLA) and Amy Cragg (ASU) found their way to the lead pack for the better part of the 119th running of Boston Marathon. For a period, Linden, Keflezighi and Ritzenhein each held the lead as well.
What it looks like when two Pac-12 alums are leading the @BostonMarathon at the same time pic.twitter.com/4VscRyDPa8
— Pac-12 Networks (@Pac12Networks) April 20, 2015
Ultimately, Kenya's Caroline Rotich (2:24:55) and Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa (2:09:17) took home the Boston titles. But Linden (2:25:39) and Ritzenhein (2:11:20) finished strong to capture the top American spot in both races. A year after becoming the first American man to win Boston since 1983, Keflezighi came in eighth at 2:12:42.