Linda arrived in the Sacramento area from Indio, Calif. to attend U.C. Davis (class of ’83), where she received a B.A. in Economics followed by a J.D. from U.C. Davis Law School. Tennis was her sport in high school, and she joined the UC Davis tennis team, but took up jogging to stay in shape when practices and matches were cancelled due to rain. Encouraged by a PE teacher, she went out for cross country in her junior year, made All American that year and barely a year later she ran 34:36.3 for 10,000 meters on the track! Here she established a life-long coaching relationship with UC Davis Coaching Hall of Fame's Sue Williams.

n 1983 Linda ran her first marathon at San Francisco, finishing in 2:42:00, because she “just wanted to try one.” Then law school kept her busy, although in 1988 with minimal training she decided to run the CIM, finishing fourth in 2:44:43 (also the Top Local Women’s time). Knowing that with proper training she could improve on this time, she set her sights on the 1989 CIM, the National Women’s Championship and a qualifier for the marathon at the 1990 Goodwill Games. She finished 26 seconds behind Nan Doaks-Davis in her Local Woman’s Time Course Record 2:33:37. When asked about whether or not she could have won this race she replied that it simply wasn’t her goal – she was happy with her overall improvement and had not expected to be in contention with someone like Nan Doaks-Davis (ranked one of the top women’s distance runners in the U.S.). And… she had to stop and tie a shoelace at mile 22!

Linda went on to an illustrious running career. She won the 1992 Chicago Marathon (2:37:41), and returned to win the 1993 CIM (2:34:11) after a placing second (2:34:25) at a grueling, snowy Chicago Marathon the month before. In 1995 Linda finished seventh at the World Games Marathon. She qualified for the Olympic Marathon trials in 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996, where she placed second (2:30:06, PR) and was in top form to represent her country at the Games in Atlanta. Here tragedy struck in the form of a mid-race torn Achilles tendon, but she still finished an amazing 31^st. In 1997 she ran a 2:31:49 at the London Marathon for 14^th place, and in 1998 was 9^th at Chicago in 2:34:21.

In 1997 Linda married triathlete Steve Smith, and after 1998 she took a break from running for a few years, getting settled in the San Luis Obispo area, adopting her niece Monica, and practicing law. By early 2002 she was ready to go for a fifth Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier, which she did handily at the Twin Cities Marathon (2:39:26); she went on to finish 10^th at the Trials, in 2:37:28.

Since then, Linda has competed well at shorter distances. Her most recent highlight is her masters win at the 2006 National Cross Country Championships last December in Golden Gate park, anchoring a winning “reunion team” of Aggies coached by Sue Williams. She currently has her sights set on qualifying for her 6^th Olympic Marathon Trials at the Chicago Marathon. 

Will she return to the CIM? She could return as soon as this December for the CIM’s 25^th, but only if the weather at Chicago takes a turn for the worse. Local Linda Somers-Smith fans are hoping this will be the case!