Dakotah Marie Lindwurm[1] (née Bullen, b. May 1, 1995) is an American professional long-distance runner who qualified to represent the United States in the Women's Marathon at the
2024 Summer Olympics in
Paris,
France.[2][3][4] Lindwurm gained notoriety after winning back-to-back victories at
Grandma's Marathon in
Duluth, Minnesota in 2021 and 2022. Her victory in 2022 made her the 12th fastest U.S. women's marathoner of all time.[5][6]
In 2022, she signed a sponsorship deal with
Puma.[7]
From 2014 to 2016, she also raced and won the Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon, a grueling 26.2 miles course near the city of
Duluth, Minnesota, that follows southern segments of the
Superior Hiking Trail.[12]
Professional career
After graduating college in 2017, Lindwurm focused her efforts on professional running. She joined the Minnesota Distance Elite team and gained professional entry into the 2018
Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, where she finished 13th in 1:16:16.[13][14][15]
Lindwurm continued improving, and by early 2019, she won a local 10-mile (the Hot Dash) in 56:08. She then won the Brian Kraft 5k in 16:21, which is one of the most competitive
5Ks in the state. At the Get in Gear 10K on the
Mississippi River Roads, she battled to finish fourth in 33:42.[16]
Her success at Grandma's Marathon cemented Lindwurm as one of the best marathon runners in the US. Her time qualified her for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trails Marathon, and she vowed to return to Grandma's to attempt another win.[13]
Lindwurm then targeted the 2019
Twin Cities Marathon. From mile 12 until about mile 23, she led the field. Lindwurm was passed by
Julia Kohnen on
Summit Avenue. Kohnen went on to win the race with a time was 2:31:29. Lindwurm finished second in 2:32:49, minutes ahead of third-place finisher,
Heather Lieberg.[18][19][15]
2020
The
Olympic Trials race in Atlanta was a hilly course, and the day provided a strong wind that runners faced again and again on the looped route. Lindwurm finished 36th in 2:39:08.[20]
2021
When Lindwurm returned to Grandma's Marathon in 2021, her career entered a new era. She won the race, in dominant fashion, with a time of 2:29:04. She became the first Minnesotan-born woman to win since
Janice Ettle's 1991 victory. The sub-2:30 time caught the attention of the national running community. Among other accolades, she was named the female athlete of the year in South Dakota, where she resided at the time.[21]
At the autumn running of the
2021 Boston Marathon, Lindwurm ran well through the first half to be one of only two American women in the lead pack. For a while, she led the pack as the others were waiting for someone to make a move. She dropped back as Colorado runner
Nell Rojas kept moving with
Diana Kipyokei and other Kenyan runners. Lindwurm finished 13th overall and was the third-place American woman in 2:31:04.[7][22][23] Her overall place improved to 12th after Kipyokei's win was vacated after she failed a doping test.[24][25][26]
2022
At the
2022 Boston Marathon, Lindwurm was featured as one of the top American women, along with
Elaina Tabb,
Stephanie Bruce, and
Sara Vaughn.[27][28] She looked again to place high and improve her time. During the race, she tied the fastest 5K split of all the female racers (along with 2018 winner
Des Linden and Canadian
Malindi Elmore).[29] She was becoming familiar with the hills and finished a minute faster than her previous finish. After Kenyan
Peres Jepchirchir won in a final sprint, Lindwurm finished as the 14th overall woman (and the fourth American) in 2:29:55.
Lindwurm after winning the 2022 Grandma's Marathon.
In the summer of 2022, Lindwurm took a second victory at Grandma's Marathon. Her winning time was a new marathon
personal record of 2:25:01, narrowly missing the all-time course record.[30]
Her time at the 2022 Grandma's wasn't just fast for the course. In a year that saw the American record fall twice (at the
Houston Marathon and
Chicago Marathon) and other incredible times posted, Lindwurm's time ranked her the sixth-fastest U.S. woman marathoner of 2022 (before the November
New York City Marathon). She stood behind only five other uber-elite U.S. women: the new American marathon record-holder
Emily Sisson; the three
World Championship finishers
Emma Bates,
Sara Hall, and
Keira D'Amato (who had broken the American record a few months before Sisson); and
Gold Coast Marathon record-setter
Lindsay Flanagan.[31]
2023
As the Boston organizers announced their 2023 field, Lindwurm was again listed as one of the top American contenders.[32][33] The announcement wasn't a surprise, in 2022, she was one of only 10 U.S. women who had run the new Olympic standard time for women's marathon (2:26:50).[34]
On March 19, 2023, she placed sixth in the New York City Half Marathon, four seconds behind
Des Linden. The race was won by
Hellen Obiri.[36][37]
Lindwurm voiced confidence going into the
2023 Boston Marathon, but acknowledge the historic depth of the assembled women's field.[38] The women's race unfolded tactically. A large pack ran together during the first 5K, then splintered some at the 10K. In the final miles,
Obiri broke ahead for the win, with many American runners following in personal record-setting times.
Emma Bates finished in 2:22:10—for fifth place,
Aliphine Tuliamuk and
Nell Rojas both ran under 2:25 for PRs. Lindwurm's pace slowed as the race stretched out; she finished in 2:33:53 for 26th.[39][40]
At the June running of
Grandma's Marathon, Lindwurm led most of the way. But a chase pack that included
Lauren Hagans,
Gabi Rooker, and
Grace Kahura made gains after the half. Hagans caught Lindwurm after running behind her for a half mile, then passed her to take the win in her debut marathon. Lindwurm finished second in 2:26:56.
October's
Chicago Marathon had near perfect conditions for racing.
Sifan Hassan won the race in 2:13:44. Lindwurm stayed in the mix with the top women and ended up running near fellow Minnesotans
Gabi Rooker and
Emma Bates. Lindwurm finished 12th overall, with a new personal best time: 2:24:40. She was the fifth American behind
Emily Sisson,
Molly Seidel,
Sara Vaughn, and Rooker.[42][43][44]
On Saturday, June 22, 2024 at the
Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, after spending several hours signing autographs for fans the previous day, Dakotah achieved a PR Half Marathon with a time of 1:08:03, finishing in 2nd place just after the winner, and Puma teammate, Annie Frisbie. Both women broke the previous women's course record.[46]
On Friday, June 21, 2024, Dakotah greets and signs autographs for fans lined up at the expo the day before the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and Grandma's Marathon.
Personal life
Lindwurm is a coach through Team RunRun. She lives with her boyfriend in the
Twin Cities.[47][48]
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^Heide, Jonathon (June 2022).
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^"Icebreakers roll to 5-0 win in Trot; Sartell, St. Francis tie". Sports. St. Cloud Times. St. Cloud, Minnesota: USA Today. 27 November 2010. p. 4D.
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^Shaughnessy, Mike (10 October 2019).
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^Kemp, Erika; Skenderian, TK (April 2022).
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^Egan, Gwen (18 April 2022).
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^Pepper, Cole; Brantley, Keith (4 March 2023).
"2023 Gate River Run Race Day Special". WJXT-TV. 1 hour 57 minutes 50 seconds. Jacksonville, Florida: posted by News4JAX The Local Station as '2023 Gate River Run Full Broadcast' (published 7 March 2023). Graham Media Group. Archived from
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^Chavez, Chris; Merber, Kyle; Masters, Sara; Murray, Declan (8 October 2023).
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^Mather, Carolyn (16 April 2023).
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