By Ashley Gauer
Associate Athletic Director, Communications
When Dakotah Lindwurm, formerly Bullen, stepped on the Northern State University campus in the fall of 2013 as a freshman with the cross country program, she never realized where the inspiration from her teammates and coaches would take her. A native of St. Francis, Minnesota, Lindwurm joined the Wolves as a walk-on and worked to build a resume that was not expected of her.
“I had incredibly supportive professors and coaches [at Northern],” explained Lindwurm. “I can still remember walking into a chemistry lecture and my professor having a newspaper article about the race I had run the weekend before. I loved how involved the professors were.”
Early on in her career, Lindwurm flew under the radar, scoring team points at various meets for both the track and field and cross country programs. She got her first taste of larger scale success in the spring of 2015 finishing as the runner-up in the 5000m at the Sioux City Relays: consequently, enough behind 2024 Northern State Hall of Fame inductee, teammate, and friend Sasha Hovind.
The Sioux City Relays proved to be a springboard for Lindwurm’s Northern State career. A trip to the 2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships followed that spring. In total, Lindwurm made two appearances at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and three at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships from 2015-2017. She closed out her Northern State career as a 2-time All-American for the Wolves, once in cross country and once in track and field; but that was just the beginning of her running career.
Northern State head coach Kevin Bjerke encouraged Lindwurm to take the next steps following graduation and she began pursuing a professional career as a member of Minnesota Distance Elite. “Coach Bjerke is truly the reason I’m where I’m at today,” noted Lindwurm. “He took a mediocre high school runner and encouraged me to believe in myself. He never set limits on me and pushed me to be my best every day.”
Success made its way to Lindwurm again in 2021 and 2022 with back-to-back wins at the famous Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. Lindwurm notes that it was her time of 2:25.01 at the 2022 race that put her sights on something more.
Fast forward to February of 2024 and the US Olympic Trials, where Lindwurm punched her ticket to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics in the marathon. She crossed the finish line in a time of 2:25:31. This career and life changing milestone came after years of dedication to her craft, determination, and countless hours of training. In preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Lindwurm was running 120-130 miles per week, at her peak; equating to 14 hours per week of running. That does not factor in the hours of training off the running course.
From February through July Lindwurm, a self-described introvert and type A personality, was on a crash course of what it meant to be an Olympian. “I was just surprised by the number of people who cared and were invested in my success,” said Lindwurm. She took a short trip to Paris in April to see the course and game plan for the difficult task ahead, which included 1400 feet of elevation over the 26.2 mile course.
Once in the city of love for the Summer Games, Lindwurm was focused and determined to make the most of her time prior to race day. She opted to stay outside of the Olympic Village and focus on her training and nutrition, however that did not stop her from getting the full Olympic experience during the opening ceremonies. Lindwurm and her over 500 teammates from Team USA loaded the boat on the River Seine and did not let the rain dampen the experience. “Being on a boat with the best athletes in America was so special, especially when we would chant ‘USA USA USA’ together. Those moments were iconic,” described Lindwurm. For those wondering, Lindwurm did experience the viral Olympic chocolate muffins as well, but noted they were definitely more of a cupcake.
The Olympic Marathon was slated for the last day of competition for the women and Lindwurm took full advantage. Not only did she train throughout the city but took cues from the men’s competition the day prior. Heading into race day, Lindwurm knew she needed to stay under a 5:40 mile and did just that. Lindwurm noted that when she took the lead around the corner by Versailles, she was a bit surprised, but that happened in large part because she stayed consistent to her game plan. She reminisced, “I turned that corner, took the lead and I could hear the whole Midwest erupt.”
Fans lined the streets throughout the race and Lindwurm noted seeing quite a bit of red, white, and blue. The US fans showed up in full force and made the experience even more memorable. She ran to a 12th place finish and was the leading American, clocking in at 2:26.44. Lindwurm does not plan on slowing down, with her eyes set on the 2028 Los Angeles games and the next big stop on that journey being the 2024 New York City Marathon.
Explore her career and keep up with Dakotah at the links below.
Dakotah Lindwurm Team USA Profile
