Shalane Flanagan's Best Not Enough To Win Boston Marathon

BOSTON (CBS) - Marblehead native Shalane Flanagan desperately wanted to win the 2014 Boston Marathon.

For the first 17 miles she was in position to do so, but despite running a personal best Monday, it wasn't enough to win.

Defending champion Rita Jeptoo also ran a personal best, 2:18:57, and set a course record to take the title again.

Flanagan dropped to the back of the leader pack in the Newton hills and ending up finishing in seventh place with a time of 2:22:02.  She was the top American woman finisher.

"I love Boston so much.  I really wanted to do it for my city," Flanagan told WBZ-TV while fighting back tears after the race.

"I'm proud of myself, even though I didn't win.  My coach told me I could run 2:22 today and I did, and we thought that was going to be good enough to win on this course.  It's really hard and I'm just so sad that I couldn't do it for Boston."

"I just really wanted to wear that olive wreath. I don't care about anything else expect for that olive wreath around my head," she added. "I'm really happy for the ladies that ran so fast. They truly were the best on the day."

However, Flanagan also said it was the most enjoyable race she's ever run because of the enthusiastic crowds that were "like a stadium" lining the entire course.

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