 Lindwurm at the 2023 Chicago Marathon | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | May 1, 1995 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | long-distance running |
| Event(s) | half marathon, marathon |
| College team | Northern State University Wolves |
| Club | Minnesota Distance Elite |
| Coached by | Chris Lundstrom |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 10 Mile: 52:57 Half Marathon: 1:09:36 Marathon: 2:24:40 |
Dakotah Lindwurm (née Bullen, b. May 1, 1995) is a professional long-distance runner who won back-to-back victories at Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. Her victory in 2022 made her the 12th fastest U.S. women's marathoner of all time.[1][2][3][4] She is known for her fast U.S. times and her characteristic smile while racing.[5] In 2022, she signed a sponsorship with Puma.[6] She has qualified for the marathon at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Before she began running, Lindwurm was a goalie for the St. Francis-North Branch girls hockey team.[7][8]
She then started running at St. Francis High School in St. Francis, Minnesota, where she completed in cross country and track and field.
After graduating high school in 2013, Lindwurm started her collegiate running career at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. For the Northern State Wolves, she performed as a Division II National Qualifier.[7] Her senior year, she and her teammate Sasha Hovind were the lone Wolves at the NCAA Division II cross country championships (Lindwurm finished 34th in 21:39).[9]
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.
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, two minutes in front of the former record-holder Kara Goucher, who had stepped back from her former professional running life.[10][11][12]
Lindwurm continued improving her speed and, by early 2019, she won a local 10-mile (the Hot Dash) in 56:08. She then won the most competitive 5K in the state (the Brian Kraft 5K around Lake Nokomis) in 16:21. At the Get in Gear 10K on the Mississippi River Roads, she battled to finish fourth in 33:42, behind winner Vicoty Chepngeno, (who become one of the world's fastest 5K runners in 2022).[13]
After her local success, she felt prepared for the 2019 Grandma's Marathon. On the route from Two Harbors to Duluth, Minnesota, on scenic Highway 61 along the north shore of Lake Superior, Lindwurm kept up with the leaders and finished fourth in 2:34:02 as Nell Rojas won with a strong sub-2:30 race.[14]
The fast time set Lindwurm firmly in the elite status. Her time qualified her for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trails Marathon, and she vowed to return to Grandma's to attempt another win.[10]
At 2019 Twin Cities Marathon (from Minneapolis to St. Paul), Lindwurm ran in front of the other elite women, smiling at the hometown crowd while circling the city's lakes. From mile 12 until about mile 23, she led the field. Then, on Summit Avenue, Missouri runner Julia Kohnen passed her and kept charging past the St. Paul Cathedral to the finish near the Minnesota State Capitol. Kohnen finished in 2:31:29 for her first large marathon victory. Lindwurm finished second in 2:32:49—a few minutes ahead of third-place finisher Heather Lieberg, who was a U.S. team member at the 2015 World Championship marathon.[15][16][12]
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, just ahead of Missy Rock and Lindsey Anderson as Rojas and Kohnen finished 9th and 10th.[17]
When she lined up at the start of Grandma's again, she began a new era at the race. She clocked 2:29:04 in a dominant win. She became the first Minnesotan woman to win since Janice Ettle's 1991 victory. The sub-2:30 caught the attention of the national running community. Among other accolades, she was named the female athlete of the year in South Dakota.[18]
At the autumn running of the 2021 Boston Marathon, Lindwurm held strong through the first half to be one of only two American women with the lead pack (which included Edna Kiplagat and Mary Ngugi). 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, just 31 seconds behind Elaina Tabb.[6][19][20] Her overall place improved to 12th after Kipyokei (who won) was found to be doping.[21][22][23]
At the 2022 Boston Marathon, Lindwurm was featured as one of the top American women, along with Tabb, Stephanie Bruce, and Sara Vaughn.[24][25] 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).[26] 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.
In the summer of 2022, Lindwurm took a second victory at Grandma's Marathon, beating her previous time and narrowly missing the course record. She blazed to win with a marathon PR of 2:25:01.[27]
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.[28]
As the Boston organizers announced their 2023 field, Lindwurm was again listed as one of the top American contenders.[29][30] 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).[31]
She competed at the 2023 15K USATF Championship, which took place March 4 at the Gate River Run in Jacksonville, Florida. She finished in 52:03 for 4th place as Emily Sisson won her third title.[32]
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.[33][34]
Lindwurm voiced confidence going into the 2023 Boston Marathon, but acknowledge the historic depth of the assembled women's field.[35]
The women's race unfolded tactically. A large pack still held together after 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, Sara Hall set an American Master's record with 2:25:48 for 17th. Lindwurm's pace slowed as the race stretched out; she finished in 2:33:53 for 26th, ahead of Erika Kemp and Laura Thweatt.[36][37]
In summer of 2023, spectators anticipated Lindwurm's return to Grandma's Marathon. She ran the USATF 25K Championships at the Amway River Bank Run, where she finished fourth in 1:25:58 after Betsy Saina, Keira D'Amato, and Jessa Hanson.[38]
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. A new world record was set as Kelvin Kiptum neared the 2 hour mark. Sifan Hassan won for the women in 2:13:44. Lindwurm stayed in the mix of the top women and ended up running near fellow Minnesotans Gabi Rooker and Emma Bates before finishing 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.[39][40][41]
On 3 February 2024, Lindwurm ran 2:25:31 the US Olympic Marathon Trials at Orlando, Florida, to place third and qualify for the Marathon at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. She finished behind Fiona O'Keeffe and Emily Sisson, both of whom also qualified.[42]
Lindwurm is a coach through Team RunRun. She lives with her boyfriend in the Twin Cities.[43][44]
