First Boston Marathon win in 3 decades for an American woman, Japanese man in slow and icy conditions

Two-time Olympian Desiree Linden splashed through icy rain and wind gusts of up to 32 miles per hour to become the first American woman in 33 years to claim a Boston Marathon victory on Monday.

The 2011 Boston runner-up pulled away at the end of the famous Heartbreak Hill near the completion of the 26.2-mile course and crossed the tape all alone, with a time of 2:39:54.

With the tough conditions, her performance marked the slowest time for a women’s winner since 1978.

Japan also has its first overall Boston winner in over three decades.

Yuki Kawauchi, with a time of 2:15:58, overcame 2017’s winner, Geoffrey Kirui, to become the first Japanese winner since 1987. His winning time was the slowest since 1976, when American Jack Fultz finished in 2:20:19.

“For me, these are the best conditions possible,” Kawauchi quipped after his win, according to the marathon’s Twitter page.

A field of 30,000 runners fought a wet course in temperatures in the mid-30s from suburban Hopkinton, Mass., to Copley Square in central Boston for the 122nd running of the storied marathon, which gives Boston kids a day off from school and is typically followed by a Red Sox home game. Mother Nature has postponed Monday’s game at Fenway Park.