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DALLAS (Sept. 23, 2015) – Race organizers for the Dallas Marathon announced today that elite female American long-distance runners and 2012 Olympians Desireé “Desi” Linden and Molly Huddle will join Deena Kastor, Meb Keflezighi, Dathan Ritzenhein and Ryan Hall as elite ambassadors at the 2015 Dallas Marathon.
All six elite ambassadors will participate in race weekend and promotional events related to the 45th running of the Dallas Marathon, Half Marathon and Behringer Relay on Sunday, December 13.
Linden, 32, was the first female American finisher at the 2015 Boston Marathon in a time of 2:25:39, placing fourth overall. She owns a lifetime marathon PR of 2:22:38, set at the 2011 Boston Marathon where she placed second. A member of Team USA at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and a Rio 2016 frontrunner, Linden trains with the Hanson-Brooks Distance Project team based in Michigan.
“As a competitor, I’m excited by the opportunity to share a memorable race weekend at the Dallas Marathon with the best athletes in our sport in Meb, Dathan, Ryan and someone I’ve always looked up to: Deena Kastor,” said Linden.
Huddle, 31, won the 2015 NYC Half Marathon with a PR of 1:08:31, earning a spot in Marie Claire’s “The 8 Greatest Moments for Women in Sports.” She ran the 5000-meters for Team USA at the 2012 London Olympics and is a top contender for the Summer Olympics in Rio in 2016. Setting American female speed records for 5000-meters in 2014, Huddle trains in Providence, R.I.
Huddle said, “I’m definitely looking forward to participating in the Dallas Marathon with the other great athletes. It will be an exciting day and a great way to end the year as we approach 2016.”
Patrick Byerly, president of the Dallas Marathon, said, “Desi and Molly are both phenomenal athletes. We’re glad to have them join us as 2015 elite ambassadors and look forward to the excitement and inspiration they will bring to our event.”
Runners wishing to participate in the 2015 Dallas Marathon, Half Marathon or Behringer Relay have through September 30 to register at the current prices of $130, $110 and $350, respectively. Registration fees will increase on October 1.
To learn more about the Dallas Marathon, visit dallasmarathon.com.
About the Dallas Marathon
The Dallas Marathon is a nonprofit organization with a focus on promoting health and physical fitness through running events and related activities. Dating back to 1971, the organization hosts year-round events culminating with Dallas’ largest and Texas’ oldest running marathon: the Dallas Marathon. Now in its 45th running, the marquee property attracts runners from across the globe and hundreds of thousands of spectators to Dallas’ largest single-day sporting event. The Dallas Marathon racecourse highlights iconic Dallas landmarks and is recognized as the official marathon of the city of Dallas. Since naming a primary beneficiary in 1997, the Dallas Marathon has donated more than $3.75 million to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.
For more information, visit dallasmarathon.com.
