After two wins and a second-place finish at Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN, Dakotah Popehn, then Lindwurm, burst onto the national scene with her third-place finish in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she finished first among USA runners with a strong 12th place.

Since Paris, Popehn has gotten married and improved her marathon PR to 2:24:20. She was hoping for much more, which she discusses in this podcast. In fact, she hopes to eventually break the American Record in the marathon.

Unlike many other elites, Popehn was not a high school and college star. Her first love as a youth athlete was hockey; she played the goalie position.

She improved dramatically in her mid-20s through years of consistent, dedicated training with Minnesota Distance Elite. She gives much credit to head coach Chris Lundstrom and her teammates like Annie Frisbie.

You can learn more about Dakotah Popehn by following her on Instagram.

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