160+ Miles Of Grit: Des Linden Talks Her Desert Ultramarathon, the Business Of Being An Athlete & The Power Of the Pivot
About this episode
Des Linden discusses her experiences in the Marathon des Sables and her transition into ultra-trail running.
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…
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