Fueled by bourbon? Boston Marathon winner Desi Linden is a fan

Did bourbon play a role in the win by the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years?

Desiree Linden, the winner, spoke last year with Runner’s World training editor Meghan Kita about her newfound obsession with good bourbon.

“To be honest, having that on my bio has blown this collection up,” Linden said. “People love to talk about good bourbon.”

She said people give her bottles when they find out she runs and loves bourbon, too.

Linden became the first American woman to take the Boston Marathon since Lisa Rainsberger did so in 1985. In addition to her success at the Boston Marathon, Linden has competed in the 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

She refers to herself as a “bourbon geek” and collects whiskeys from around the globe. In 2015, she already had 25 to 30 bottles.

She also enjoys great beer and coffee, according to her Twitter feed.

Originally a Jim Beam and Coke drinker, Linden told Outsideonline.com that her tastes have matured, and she is drawn to the vanilla and oak notes.

Among her collection she counted three bottles of Pappy Van Winkle, including the 20-year-old and the 12-year-old; Black Maple Hill; and Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea Voyage 4.

Even her “everyday” bourbons are pretty top-shelf, including Blanton’s, Elijah Craig and Elmer T. Lee.

“If I grab the Booker’s it’s probably been a long brutal week, so watch out world!” she said.

She said she enjoys trying new bourbons especially with “a strong and long finish, smooth with some heat but not a bite.”

Kind of like marathon running, maybe.

This story was originally published April 16, 2018 at 1:08 PM with the headline "Fueled by bourbon? Boston Marathon winner Desi Linden is a fan."