Dakotah Lindwurm, 28, is a professional long-distance runner specializing in the marathon event. She earned the opportunity to represent the United States in the Women’s Marathon at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
Lindwurm became very famous after winning the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota two years in a row, in 2021 and 2022. Her excellent performance and winning time at the 2022 Grandma’s Marathon made her the 12th fastest woman marathoner from the United States in all of history.
Dakotah Lindwurm Is Qualified For the 2024 Paris Olympics
Dakotah Lindwurm, a native of St. Francis, Minnesota, became the first athlete from Minnesota to secure a spot on the United States Olympic Team for the upcoming summer games in Paris. During the Olympic Trials race held in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday, she finished in third place, earning her qualification.
“I’m so excited that I punched my ticket to Paris. I’ve been dreaming and envisioning this moment for so long, and I can’t believe my dreams are coming true.”
said Lindwurm.
Lindwurm will now begin a six-month training regimen to prepare for the summer Olympics in Paris.
Currently ranked as the 12th fastest woman marathoner in the United States, Lindwurm will be joined by Fiona O’Keeffe and Emily Sisson., who have also qualified for the Olympic marathon event.
The 2024 Olympics will take place in Paris. According to Northern State University (NSU), this was Lindwurm’s second attempt at competing in the Olympics. In 2019, she qualified for the 2020 Olympic trials but faced unfavorable weather conditions, resulting in a slower run.
Dakotah Lindwurm’s Early Years and Family Life
Dakotah Lindwurm was born on May 1, 1995, in St. Francis, Minnesota. Her current residence is in Hopkins, Minnesota. Tragically, she lost her mother to cancer in 2020, and her father remains her biggest supporter. Lindwurm is an only child, and she currently lives with her boyfriend, Montana Popehn. She stands at 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 105 pounds.
During her high school years, Lindwurm attended Saint Francis High School, where she graduated in 2013. While in high school, she competed in track and cross-country events. Additionally, she served as the goaltender for the combined St. Francis/North Branch high school girls’ hockey team. After graduating from high school, Lindwurm pursued her college education at Northern State University.
Upon completing her studies at Northern State University, Lindwurm returned to Minnesota and joined Team Minnesota Elite, a USATF (United States of America Track and Field) training club coached by Chris Lundstrom.
Dakotah Lindwurm is in a relationship with her boyfriend Montana
Dakotah Lindwurm, a well-known American long-distance runner, shares a strong bond with her life partner, Montana Popehn. The couple is in a committed, long-term relationship but is not married. Montana wholeheartedly supports Dakotah’s athletic career.
Professionally, Montana Popehn works as a Senior Manager at Coyote Logistics in Minnesota, where he works as UPS procurement and strategic solutions. He holds a degree in air traffic control and communications from the University of North Dakota.
Dakotah Lindwurm started her Career Journey when she was in high school
Dakotah Lindwurm’s athletic journey began with her participation in high school and collegiate track and cross-country events. In 2018, she shifted her focus to professional distance running. Over the years, her coach, Chris Lundstrom, witnessed Lindwurm’s transformation into a “grinder of a racer.” Lundstrom, who has worked with her since she joined the Minnesota Distance Elite in 2018.
“It’s pretty magical,”. “Lots of people, regardless of what sport you’re in, have Olympic dreams and she’s somebody who had that since she was a kid. To see it all come together and to be able to be a part of it, it’s all still kind of sinking in, I think. But it’s just an incredible feeling.”
said Lundstrom
In 2014, Lindwurm finished 41st in the NCAA Division II Cross Country Central Region Meet with a time of 23:08.80 and secured sixth place at the Augie Twilight event, clocking 16:59.00.
In 2015, she qualified for the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, finishing ninth in the regionals. She placed 56th in the championships with a time of 21:42.10 and won the DSU Herb Blakely Invite in 18:28.00.
In 2016, Lindwurm emerged victorious at the Herd Blakely Invite with a time of 18:13.0 (5k). She finished ninth at the Roy Griak Invitational, clocking 23:12.6 (6k). However, she received a medical redshirt for the remainder of the season due to a season-ending injury.
Dakotah Lindwurm’s Local Success
After graduating from 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 with a time of 1:16:16.
In 2017, Lindwurm won both the Herb Blakely Invitational with a time of 18:25.0 (5k) and the Jimmie Invitational with a time of 17:33.0 (5k). She finished fifth in both the NSIC Conference Championships and the Central Regional Championships with times of 21:20.9 (6k) and 21:32.4 (6k), respectively, earning her All-NSIC and All-Region honors. Additionally, she placed 34th in the NCAA Championships with a time of 21:31.4, securing All-American honors.
In 2019, after her local success, Lindwurm prepared for the 2019 Grandma’s Marathon. On the route from Two Harbors to Duluth, Minnesota, she kept up with the leaders and finished fourth with a time of 2:34:02.
Lindwurm continued to improve, and by early 2019, she won a local 10-mile event (the Hot Dash) in 56:08. She then won at the Brian Kraft 5k in 16:21, one of the most competitive 5K races in the state. At the Get in Gear 10K on the Mississippi River Roads, she battled to finish fourth with a time of 33:42.
Her success at Grandma’s Marathon established Lindwurm as one of the best marathon runners in the United States. Her time qualified her for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon.
Dakotah Lindwurm in her Prime
In 2020, Lindwurm faced a challenging course at the Olympic Trials race in Atlanta. Despite the obstacles, Lindwurm finished in 36th place with a time of 2:39:08.
In 2021 she returned to the Grandma’s Marathon. She came out victorious in dominant fashion, crossing the finish line with an impressive time of 2:29:04. This achievement made her the first Minnesotan-born woman to win the race since Janice Ettle’s victory in 1991. Lindwurm’s sub-2:30 time garnered national attention within the running community. Additionally, she was honored as the female athlete of the year in South Dakota, where she resided at the time.
In the autumn of 2021, Lindwurm participated in the Boston Marathon. Lindwurm finished 13th overall and secured the third-place spot among American women with a time of 2:31:04.
In 2022, Lindwurm entered the Boston Marathon as one of the top American women, alongside Elaina Tabb, Stephanie Bruce, and Sara Vaughn. She aimed to secure a high placement and improve her time. During the race, Lindwurm tied the fastest 5K split among all female runners, matching the times of 2018 winner Des Linden and Canadian runner Malindi Elmore.
After Kenyan athlete Peres Jepchirchir claimed victory in a final sprint, Lindwurm finished as the 14th overall woman and the fourth American woman, clocking a time of 2:29:55. In the summer of 2022, Lindwurm achieved her second victory at the Grandma’s Marathon with winning time of 2:25:01.
In 2022, she was one of only ten U.S. women who had achieved the new Olympic standard time for the women’s marathon (2:26:50).
Road to Paris Olympics 2024
On March 4, 2023, Lindwurm competed in the 15K USATF Championship, held at the Gate River Run in Jacksonville, Florida. She finished in fourth place with a time of 52:03, while Emily Sisson secured her third title victory.
On March 19, 2023, Lindwurm participated in the New York City Half Marathon, where she placed sixth, just four seconds behind Des Linden. The race was won by Hellen Obiri.
Emma Bates finished fifth with a time of 2:22:10, while Aliphine Tuliamuk and Nell Rojas both clocked times under 2:25, achieving personal bests in the 2023 Boston Marathon. As the race progressed, Lindwurm’s pace slowed, and she finished 26th with a time of 2:33:53. She also competed in the 2023 USATF 25K Championships at the Amway River Bank Run, finishing fourth in 1:25:58 behind Betsy Saina, Keira D’Amato, and Jessa Hanson.
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Emma Bates finished fifth with a time of 2:22:10, while Aliphine Tuliamuk and Nell Rojas both clocked times under 2:25, achieving personal bests. She also competed in the 2023 USATF 25K Championships at the Amway River Bank Run, finishing fourth in 1:25:58 behind Betsy Saina, Keira D’Amato, and Jessa Hanson.
On February 3, 2024, she ran the US Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida, clocking a time of 2:25:31 to secure third place and qualify for the Marathon event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. She finished behind Fiona O’Keeffe and Emily Sisson, who also qualified for the Olympics.
