CLOSE American Desi Linden won the famed Marathon with a time of 2:39:54. USA TODAY Sports

Desiree Linden approaches the finish line to win the women's division of the 2018 Boston Marathon on April 16. (Photo: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)

American Desi Linden made a charge around mile 21 of Monday's Boston Marathon to become the first American woman to win the race since 1985.

Linden broke away from Kenya's Gladys Chesir and Mamitu Daska of Ethiopia on a rainy and windy Patriots Day at the 35K mark with 2:12:22 elapsed.

The two-time U.S. Olympian, who trains in Michigan, finished in 2:39:54 in a heavy rain. Boston has been a special place for Linden, who was fourth in the marathon last year and second in 2011.

"I love this city, I love this race, this course," she said. "It's storybook. I’m thrilled to be here and to get it done."

In the men's race, Yuki Kawauchi of Japan won his first Boston Marathon in 2:15:58. The last Japanese man to win the Boston Marathon was Toshihiko Seko in 1987.

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More: Desi Linden shows incredible sportsmanship in winning Boston Marathon

Kawauchi passed defending champion Geoffrey Kirui in Kenmore Square. Kirui finished second in 2:18:23.

In a gesture of good sportsmanship, Linden slowed up and waited early in the race for Shalane Flanagan, the 2017 New York City Marathon champ, who darted into a Porta Potty and emerged a few seconds later. Linden helped Flanagan catch up to the lead pack.

Linden led the chase to catch Daska. She made a move at the end of Heartbreak Hill to take the lead, and Daska and Chesir couldn't stay in contact.

American Sarah Sellers was second, 4 minutes, 11 seconds behind Linden. Flanagan finished sixth as seven American women finished in the top 10.

Lisa Larsen Weidenbach was the last American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 1985.

Monday's conditions were tough for the field of 30,000 runners with temperatures in the low 40s with periods of heavy rain and wind. It was the slowest time for a women's winner since 1978.

It marked the five-year anniversary of explosions at the finish line that killed three people and injured hundreds more. Meb Keflezighi, the 2014 Boston champion, was among those running for charity. Keflezighi, who's retired from competition, ran for the Martin Richard Foundation, in honor of 8-year-old Martin Richard, who was killed in the bombings.

Contributing: Associated Press</s>Desi Linden became the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years.</s>An American woman and a Japanese man won the elite divisions in the Boston Marathon Monday, the first time runners from each country have taken the top spots in more than 30 years.

Desiree (Desi) Linden, a two-time Olympian, battled the rain and wind to win the 122nd running of the storied race. It’s also the first marathon win of the 34-year-old’s career.

“I love this city,” Linden said. “I love this race, this course. It’s storybook, so I’m thrilled to be here and to get it done.”

And Yuki Kawauchi of Japan came in first place in the men’s elite division, overtaking Geoffrey Kirui of Kenya in the final miles. American Shadrack Biwott was third.

“For me, these are the best conditions possible,” Kawauchi said, according to the Boston Marathon’s Twitter account.

For the fourth year in a row, Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men’s push rim wheelchair division, while American Tatyana McFadden won the women’s push rim wheelchair division for the fifth time.

In 2011, Linden finished second in the women’s division, just 2 seconds behind Caroline Kilel. She also was second at the US Olympic Marathon trials in 2012. Linden finished fourth in the Boston Marathon last year.

Earlier in the race, Linden temporarily took herself out of contention to help fellow American Shalane Flanagan. Flanagan dropped out of the lead pack to go to a portable toilet. Showing tremendous sportsmanship, Linden hung back to wait for Flanagan so they could both return to the lead pack together.

“Honestly, at mile 2, 3, 4 I didn’t feel like I was even going to make it to the finish line,” Linden said. “I told her in the race, I said, ‘You know, if there’s anything I can do to help you out, let me know because I might just drop out. When you work together, you never know what’s going to happen. Helping her helped me and kind of got my legs back from there.”

Flanagan finished sixth, one of six American women finishing in the top eight.

Before Linden, the last American woman to win the Boston Marathon was Lisa Rainsberger in 1985.

The last Japanese man to win the famous race was Toshihiko Seko in 1987. The last American man to win Boston was Meb Keflezighi, in 2014.</s>It was a nasty day to run 26.2 miles through Boston. But American Desiree Linden pushed her way through a powerful headwind, cold rain and up Heartbreak Hill to triumph at the Boston Marathon — the first time a U.S. woman has won in 33 years.

"It's supposed to be hard," Linden told reporters after her victory, shivering with a laurel wreath atop her head. "It's good to get it done."

The poor conditions turned the race into a slog. Linden's winning time — 2 hours, 39 minutes and 54 seconds — is the slowest time for a winner in the women's race since 1978, according to The Associated Press. The winning time last year, posted by Kenya's Edna Kiplagat, was nearly 18 minutes faster.

It was a big day for American women, who claimed seven of the top eight spots in the race.

Linden, a 34-year-old who lives in Michigan, wowed commentators when she waited for Shalane Flanagan while her teammate made a quick toilet break 45 minutes into the race.

In the 2011 Boston Marathon, Linden came in second, just two seconds behind winner Caroline Kilel. She ran it in a personal best 2:22:38. Linden is also a two-time Olympian — she came in seventh at the 2016 Rio Games, and had to drop out a few miles into the marathon at the 2012 London Games due to a stress fracture.

This year's men's race was won by Japan's Yuki Kawauchi, with a time of 2:15:58. He's Japan's first Boston Marathon winner since 1987. Boston was Kawauchi's fourth marathon — and fourth win — this year, The New York Times reports.

"For me, these are the best conditions possible," he told the AP.

Marcel Hug of Switzerland notched his fifth win in the men's wheelchair division, while American woman Tatyana McFadden also won her fifth title.

This year's marathon marks five years since bombs exploded at the finish line, killing three people and wounding hundreds.</s>An American has won the elite women’s division at the Boston Marathon for the first time since 1985.

Desiree (Desi) Linden, a two-time Olympian, battled the rain and wind Monday to win the storied race. It’s also the first win of the 34-year-old’s career.

In 2011, Linden finished second, just 2 seconds behind Caroline Kilel. She also was second at the US Olympic Marathon trials in 2012. Linden finished fourth in the Boston Marathon last year.

Earlier in the race, Linden temporarily took herself out of contention to help fellow American Shalane Flanagan. Flanagan dropped out of the lead pack to go to a portable toilet. Showing tremendous sportsmanship, Linden hung back to wait for Flanagan so they could both return to the lead pack together.

Before Linden, the last American woman to win the Boston Marathon was Lisa Rainsberger in 1985.

The last American man to win Boston was Meb Keflezighi, in 2014.</s>Yuki Kawauchi surges late to win men's Boston Marathon, first Japanese man to win since 1987

BOSTON (AP) — Yuki Kawauchi surges late to win men's Boston Marathon, first Japanese man to win since 1987.</s>For the first time in 33 years, an American has won the Boston Marathon. Desiree Linden took the women's race Monday with a time of 2 hours, 39 minutes and 53 seconds. It was a rainy, gloomy day for the runners, but Linden and Yuki Kawauchi, the men's winner, were able to overcome the conditions to win.

Kawauchi, of Japan, won the men's division in 2:15:53. Linden, 34 and Kawauchi, 31, both had comeback wins.

Linden, 34, persevered after Ethiopa's Mamitu Daska broke away from the pack before the halfway point. She ran on her own for a time, but the pack's steady pace closed her nearly 30-second lead, with Linden and Kenya's Gladys Chesir wearing her down. Linden's time was the slowest for a women's winner since 1978, but it was still over four minutes faster than the second-place runner, the United States' Sarah Sellers.

Not that that mattered to Linden.

"It's supposed to be hard," she said, via the Associated Press. "It's good to get it done."

Linden nearly got it done in 2011, when she finished a mere two seconds away from winning. The last American to win the marathon was Lisa Larden Weidenbach in 1985.

Linden also endured a brief delay, when she waited for fellow American Shalane Flanagan, who had to duck out to take care of some bathroom business during the race. Granted, the delay wasn't long -- Flanagan only took slightly over 13 seconds, but a delay is a delay in a race like this.

When it was all said and done, seven of the top 10 spots were comprised of American women, with Rachel Hyland finishing fourth, Nicole Demurcurio coming fifth, Flanagan finishing sixth, Kimi Reed coming in seventh and Joanna Thompson rounding out the top 10 at No. 10.

For the men, Kawauchi, 31, overtook Geoffrey Kirui in Kenmore Square, becoming Japan's first champion since 1987. Even amid the horrid weather, Kawauchi seemed pleased with the conditions. "For me, it's the best conditions possible," he said through a translator, per the AP.

Even though the crowd may not have been as large as it normally would be, it's a huge win that snapped two long droughts. Both the United States and Japan can celebrate today.

The top American man was New Mexico's Shadrack Biwott, who finished in 2:18:35 in third place, in another field that was dominated by American runners. Tyler Pennel finished fourth, Andrew Bumbalough fifth, Scott Smith was sixth, Elkanah Kibet was eighth and Daniel Vassallo was 10th, giving the United States men six of the top-10 spots.

As for the winner, Kawauchi was humble after the race, thanking the Boston crowd despite its thinness. "It's the best crowd support I've ever had anywhere in the world. Thank you Boston," he said, via CBS Boston. Kawauchi also opted against having a sponsor, since he wanted to keep working as an administrator in a high school's office. The win will bring him a certain degree of fame, but something tells me staying grounded won't be an issue for him.

You can recap all of the action with our LIVE blog below. If the live blog isn't loading properly for you, click here.</s>BOSTON — Desiree Linden splashed her way through icy rain and a near-gale headwind to win the Boston Marathon on Monday, the first victory for an American woman since 1985.

The two-time Olympian and 2011 Boston runner-up pulled away at the end of Heartbreak Hill to win in 2 hours, 39 minutes, 54 seconds. That was more than four minutes better than second-place finisher Sarah Sellers — one of seven Americans in the top 10 — but the slowest time for a women's winner in Boston since 1978.

"It's supposed to be hard," said Linden, who wiped the spray of rain from her eyes as she made her way down Boylston Street alone. "It's good to get it done."

Yuki Kawauchi passed defending champion Geoffrey Kirui as they passed through Kenmore Square with a mile to go to win the men's race in 2:15:58 and earn Japan's first Boston Marathon title since 1987. Kirui slowed and stumbled across the Copley Square finish line 2:25 later, followed by Shadrack Biwott and three other U.S. men.

"For me, it's the best conditions possible," Kawauchi said with a wide smile through an interpreter.

On the fifth anniversary of the finish line explosions that killed three and wounded hundreds more, Linden and Kawauchi led a field of 30,000 runners through a drenching rain, temperatures in the mid-30s and gusts of up to 32 mph on the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton.

In Copley Square, Crowds only partly thinned and muffled by the weather greeted Linden with chants of "U-S-A!"

Lisa Larsen Weidenbach's 1985 victory was the last for an American woman — before the race began offering prize money that lured the top international competitors to the world's oldest and most prestigious annual marathon. Linden, a California native who lives in Michigan, nearly ended the drought in 2011 when she was outkicked down Boylston Street and finished second by 2 seconds during yet another Kenyan sweep.

But the East Africans who have dominated the professional era of the race had their worst performance in decades. Kirui was the only Kenyan in the top ten for the men's race; defending champion Edna Kiplagat, who was ninth, helped prevent a shutout in the distaff division.

Hometown favourite Shalane Flanagan, a four-time Olympian and the reigning New York City Marathon champion, finished sixth after popping into a course-side portable toilet before the halfway point and falling behind the lead pack.</s>Desiree Linden fights rain and wind to become first American woman to win Boston Marathon since 1985

BOSTON (AP) — Desiree Linden fights rain and wind to become first American woman to win Boston Marathon since 1985.</s>Desiree Linden fights rain and wind to become first American woman to win Boston Marathon since 1985
Desiree "Desi" Linden becomes the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years. For the men's division, Yuki Kawauchi of Japan became the first Japanese person to win since 1987.