Amy Cragg and Desiree Linden, whose careers have intertwined since they were track and cross country teammates at Arizona State, took the top two places at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on Saturday to become two-time Olympians.
Cragg was in front for most of the 26.2-mile race in Los Angeles, winning the biggest race of her career in 2 hours, 28 minutes, 27 seconds. Linden passed Cragg’s struggling Bowerman Track Club teammate Shalane Flanagan in the final mile to take second in 2:29:00.
2012 trials champion Flanagan also qualified for the Rio Olympics in third (2:29:26). Linden was second at the 2012 trials and Cragg fourth but able to make it the London Games in the 10,000-meter, where she finished 11th.