Dakotah Marie Popehn[2] (formerly Lindwurm; née Bullen, b. May 1, 1995)[3] is an American professional long-distance runner sponsored by Puma[4] who qualified to represent the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[5][6][7] Popehn 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.[8][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.[14]
Popehn 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.[18]
Her success at Grandma's Marathon cemented Popehn 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.[15]
Popehn then targeted the 2019 Twin Cities Marathon. From 12 miles (19 km) until about 23 miles (37 km), she led the field. Popehn was passed by Julia Kohnen on Summit Avenue. Kohnen went on to win the race with a time was 2:31:29. Popehn finished second in 2:32:49, minutes ahead of third-place finisher, Heather Lieberg.[20][21][17]
Popehn's motto is "I am strong. I am fast. My speed will last." and is first documented as having been written across Popehn's arm during the race.[22]
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. Popehn finished 36th in 2:39:08.[23]
2021
When Popehn 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.[24]
At the autumn running of the 2021 Boston Marathon, Popehn 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. Popehn finished 13th overall and was the third-place American woman in 2:31:04.[4][25][26] Her overall place improved to 12th after Kipyokei's win was vacated after she failed a doping test.[27][28][29]
2022
At the 2022 Boston Marathon, Popehn was featured as one of the top American women, along with Elaina Tabb, Stephanie Bruce, and Sara Vaughn.[30][31] 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).[32] 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, Popehn finished as the 14th overall woman (and the fourth American) in 2:29:55.
In the summer of 2022, Popehn 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.[33]
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, Popehn'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.[34]
2023
As the Boston organizers announced their 2023 field, Popehn was again listed as one of the top American contenders.[35][36] 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).[37]
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.[39][40]
Popehn voiced confidence going into the 2023 Boston Marathon, but acknowledge the historic depth of the assembled women's field.[41] 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. Popehn's pace slowed as the race stretched out; she finished in 2:33:53 for 26th.[42][43]
At the June running of Grandma's Marathon, Popehn 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 Popehn after running behind her for a half mile, then passed her to take the win in her debut marathon. Popehn finished second in 2:26:56.
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.[49]
She competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics Women's marathon on August 11, 2024, finishing in 12th place with a time of 2:26:44.[50]
Popehn competed in the 2024 New York City Marathon on 03 November 2024, finishing in 17th place.[51] Popehn led the race briefly in the early miles.[52]
Personal life
Popehn is a coach through Team RunRun. She lives with her husband in the Twin Cities.[53][54]
^"Dakotah Lindwurm". Monaco: World Athletics. 2022. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
^Ken Young; Andy Milroy, eds. (2018). "Dakotah Bullen". Mattole Valley, California: Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
^Heide, Jonathon (June 2022). "Cool Runnings". Run Minnesota Magazine. Run Minnesota. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
^"Dakotah Lindwurm". minnesotadistanceelite.com. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Minnesota Distance Elite. 2022. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
^"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.
^Mather, Carolyn (23 June 2019). "Rojas Takes Grandma's Marathon Title". Race Coverage. Runner's Gazette. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
^Shaughnessy, Mike (10 October 2019). "Lindwurm is TCM runner-up". The Sun Thisweek. Apple Valley, Minnesota: APG of East Central Minnesota. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
^Hodowanic, Paul (7 October 2019). "Running - Twin Cities Marathon - Local runners star in Twin Cities Marathon - St. Francis native Lindwurm second in women's race;St. Paul's Dochertythird among men". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
^Kemp, Erika; Skenderian, TK (April 2022). "Boston Marathon Fan Fest: Top American Women". 31 minutes 16 seconds. Boston, Massachusetts: Boston Athletic Association. Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022 – via Vimeo.
^Egan, Gwen (18 April 2022). "Boston Marathon by the Numbers". Boston.com. Boston, Massachusetts: Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
^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 the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via YouTube.
^Chavez, Chris; Merber, Kyle; Masters, Sara; Murray, Declan (8 October 2023). "Chicago Marathon Watch Party: Live from Bandit Running". Citius Mag. 2 hours 48 minutes 42 seconds. New York City, New York: Streamed live from Chicago, commenting on coverage provided by WMAQ-TV (NBC). Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023 – via YouTube.
^Mather, Carolyn (16 April 2023). "Dakota Lindwurm: A Talent to be Watched". Interviews. runblogrun.com. Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin: Fortius Media Group. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
^Wellens, Matt (21 June 2023). "First time's THE CHARM for Lauren Hagans - Rookie marathoner chases down defending champion Lindwurm to win women's race". Duluth News-Tribune.
^Aldam, Will (4 September 2023). "Clayton Young wins 2023 New Haven Road 20K national championship with photo finish over Conner Mantz". New Haven Register.
^"Local Leaderboard: Gate River Run". Florida Times-Union. 6 March 2023.
^Blount, Rachel (18 April 2023). "Elk River runner near top in Boston - Bates is top U.S. woman finisher in the marathon". Minnesota Star Tribune.
^Nowacki, John (19 June 2022). "LINDWURM'S 'BEST DAY EVER' - Eagan native brings another Grandma's Marathon title home". Duluth News-Tribune.
^Nowacki, Jon (23 June 2021). "MINNESOTA MADE - Lindwurm brings Grandma's Marathon title home to the Gopher State". Duluth News-Tribune.
^"2021 Gate River Run results". Florida Times-Union. 22 March 2021.
^Niles, Jacque (1 March 2020). "Former Northern standout Dakota Lindwurm 36th in U.S. Olympic marathon trials". American News (Aberdeen, South Dakota).
^"HOUSTON MARATHON; Results". Houston Chronicle. 20 January 2020.