Marblehead's Shalene Flanagan Finishes 6th In Boston Marathon

MARBLEHEAD, MA — For the first time in decades, the Boston Marathon has an American women's champion. Unlike in New York, it wasn't local favorite Shalene Flanagan, but she made her mark her final major race.

Flanagan, an Olympian and NYC Marathon champion from Marblehead, was the sixth elite women to cross the Boylston Street finish line Monday. She finished with a time of 2 hours 46 minutes 31 seconds.

All eyes were on Flanagan, who was looking pull off a repeat of NYC, when she became the first American woman in four decades to win. So many eyes were on her, in fact, that it was news when she peeled off into a port-a-potty for a bathroom break that spanned roughly 14 seconds.

Desi Linden from Michigan stopped to help Flanagan back to the pack. Linden told Flanagan she didn't think she was going to finish herself, so she might as well help out. Of course, Linden ended up finishing. She won the whole thing, becoming the first American women's champion in Boston in 33 years.

"I told [Flanagan] during the race 'if there's anything I can do to help you out let me know because I might just drop out,'" Linden said. "When you work together you never know what's gonna happen. Helping her helped me and I kind of got my legs back from there."

Photo by Jenna Fisher, Patch