As colder temperatures settle in and trees shake off their remaining leaves, our minds are turning to the season ahead.
During this season of generosity and gratitude, we’re reflecting on how grateful we are for you – our Run Minnesota community.
Whether you’ve been a member for 25 years, just ran your first race with us, are a long-time volunteer, lend your time and talents as a board member, or provide funding to fuel our mission – it’s because of you that we’re able to support runners of all ages and abilities across Minnesota.
Photo by Isaiah Rustad
One of the highlights of our year has been welcoming more than 1,000 people into our community through training and race scholarships and through free running events, like our Como Relays, Victory Races Kids’ Run, Wirth Trail Classic and the Black Friday 5k.
And with our 2025 races just around the corner – that number will continue to grow.
Thank you for all you do to make these free initiatives possible.
Photo by Carly Danek
Running Connects and Strengthens Us
Your reasons for being a part of our community are as numerous as there are all of you. But one thing is certain – we’re connected by our deep belief in the transformational power of running.
Running pushes us to discover what we are capable of. Running connects us to new friends and longtime neighbors. Running helps us care for ourselves and care for one another. Running builds healthier communities. Running makes us stronger in body and mind. Running reduces our stress and boosts our emotional wellbeing. Running supports our local businesses and promotes economic vitality. And so many more…
What would you add to this list?
At Run Minnesota, we believe that the countless benefits of running should be available to every person across the state. Looking ahead to 2025, we’re excited to continue the work of welcoming even more people to this sport we love.
A big part of this includes removing barriers to access for those experiencing financial stress, those in rural areas, and those who have historically been excluded from running spaces due to racism, sexism, transphobia, ableism, body/fat shaming and other forms of discrimination.
Building a More Expansive, Accessible Running Community Together
We know the work ahead is much larger than just Run Minnesota or any single organization. It requires a broad ecosystem of individuals and groups coming together to build a more expansive running community around the state.
The Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF) Movement is a call to “re-examine every fundraising practice and philosophy [many of us] have been taught and explore doing fundraising in ways that reduce harm and further social justice.”
CCF is anchored in 10 core principles (Please follow this link to dive deeper, and while you’re there, show the organization some love by donating or lifting up their work in other ways):
Fundraising must be grounded in race, equity and social justice.
Individual organization missions are not as important as the collective community.
Nonprofits are generous with and mutually supportive of one another.
All who engage in strengthening the community are equally valued, whether volunteer, staff, donor, or board member.
Time is valued as equally as money.
Treating donors as partners, and this means being transparent, and occasionally having difficult conversations.
Fostering a sense of belonging, not othering.
Promoting the understanding that everyone (donors, staff, funders, board members, volunteers) personally benefits from engaging in the work of social justice – it’s not just charity and compassion.
Seeing the work of social justice as holistic and transformative, not transactional.
Recognizing that healing and liberation requires a commitment to economic justice.
As we reflect on the way these principles will guide our path forward, we’re turning to you – our Run Minnesota community.
To help us move closer to our vision of a healthier and more active state, please consider the many ways you can continue to be involved in this important work.
Image by Carly Danek
Support Run Minnesota
Click here to Make a Financial Gift: We recently launched a Springboard for Running Campaign to raise $20,000 by the end of the year. Please consider making a donation. Gifts of all sizes make a difference.
Click Here to Become a Member: Our members fuel our mission. As a member you get access to a host of great benefits and help bring the power of running to more people across the state.
Click Here to Volunteer: Our work wouldn’t be possible without the large squad of volunteers who donate their time throughout the year to bring our races and programs to life. Check out our current volunteer opportunities and consider joining us for an upcoming event.
Click Here to Become a Board Member: We are currently seeking applicants with skills in fundraising, governance and/or leadership. As always we’re eager to continue expanding our board by welcoming applicants who represent a variety of identities and lived experiences across Minnesota.
Share Your Ideas: Is there another way you’d like to show your support? Please connect with us! We’d love to hear from you. Email hello@run-minnesota.org.
Support the Wider Minnesota Running Community
Minnesota has many nonprofits encouraging running and health and wellness across the state, and we’d like to highlight three that may not be on your radar to elevate their work.
Miles for Mentors (Willmar, MN)
Miles 4 Mentors is a non-profit organization based in Willmar, MN that is focused on providing local children with the resources they need to participate in and benefit from youth sports and activities. They host Fun Run Events, provide activity and equipment scholarships, provide youth mentors, and foster a love of running and an appreciation for the benefits of physical fitness among children in grades K-12.
Wiggle Your Toes (National, based in Bloomington, MN)
Wiggle Your Toes is a 501(c)(3) created in May 2008 to help victims and families of victims who have experienced limb loss. Their weekly mobility clinics at the University of Minnesota Fieldhouse begin in early January. Wiggle Your Toes believes that movement is medicine. With their mobility clinics they provide a safe environment for our community (individuals with disabilities) to stretch, walk, run and connect with others like them. Wiggle provides the venue, the guidance, support (volunteers) and equipment (prosthetic running blades, knees, and feet.) The clinics are free of charge and open to all levels of ability.
Wiggle Your Toes was successful in getting legislation passed in Minnesota that will provide coverage from insurance companies for running blades, fitness prosthetics and orthotics for individuals in our community. This will be in effect on January 1, 2025.
The Patrick Schoonover Heart Foundation was created to honor and remember Patrick Schoonover who passed away at the age of 14, due to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), caused by undetected heart defects. The foundation’s goal is to bring SCA awareness, education and prevention and to eliminate SCA in kids.
SCA is the leading cause of death among student athletes. The Patrick Schoonover Heart Foundation offers free heart screens for ALL kids 14-24 throughout the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
We also invite you to show your support for other running/sports groups and organizations, including those that center and celebrate Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), disabled people, those in the LGBTQIA+ community, and those of all body types and sizes.
Here are a few amazing organizations we work with in Minnesota that we recommend you follow, support and donate to this season:
At Run Minnesota, we believe running should be a joy and a healthy outlet available to everyone across our state. For over 60 years, we’ve been a driving force in making running accessible to all, fostering vibrant communities through races, training programs, and resources.
Thanks to your generosity, we’ve welcomed thousands of new runners over the last decade through scholarships and free community events. But as we continue to grow, we face new challenges that threaten our ability to maintain this momentum. The pandemic and rising costs have left us with a significant funding gap.
We are deeply grateful for your continued support. Your commitment to our organization has been instrumental in our ability to provide high-quality programs and services to our community.
Updates to Membership Benefits
After long and careful consideration, we have decided to discontinue the annual training logbook and race calendar, effective immediately.
In recent years, members have turned to technology to track their runs, which has led to a significant decline in demand for a physical logbook. The increasing costs of printing and shipping, combined with the decreased demand, have made this benefit unsustainable for Run Minnesota to produce.
Gathering information about Minnesota races for our logbook has presented significant challenges. Many races do not have their event details for next year ready in October, which impacts our ability to include them in our publication. This disproportionately impacts smaller races in greater Minnesota and diminishes the effectiveness we aim to achieve.
To better support Minnesota races, we are shifting our focus to our free race listings and resources on our online calendar at run-minnesota.org. With more flexible deadlines, we can help races promote their events on a timeline that suits their needs. This approach ensures that all races, regardless of location, resources, or marketing capabilities, can gain visibility and effectively connect with participants. The Minnesota Race Calendar is the most viewed page on run-minnesota.org. Information can be added and updated at any time.
This change in membership benefits reflects our commitment to our mission, sustainability, and the evolving needs of our members. While some may find the discontinuation of the logbook and race calendar disappointing, this change allows us to focus on initiatives that better serve the diverse needs of our community.
Your membership is invaluable in supporting our website, which serves as a vital and accessible hub for running in Minnesota. Here, you can easily find information on upcoming races, connect with local running groups, discover nearby stores, and locate convenient indoor running facilities—all conveniently organized under the resources tab.
Thank you for your understanding. We greatly appreciate your membership and hope you continue to find value in the other benefits of membership and the support we provide to the running community.
Dakotah Lindwurm: The Walk-On Who Worked Her Way To The Olympics
Words by Sarah Barker
On paper, Dakotah Lindwurm was a long shot to make the Olympic marathon team. Her high school and college running resumes were modest, especially compared to the NXN and NCAA champions also on the start line. She had the eighth fastest time going into the Olympic Trials Marathon. LetsRun didn’t include her in their top eight picks, and put her at #10 of eleven on their dark horse list.
But hers is a story not captured by statistics. Self-belief, grit, resilience, passion—these things can’t be measured but are every bit as responsible for her Olympic berth as months of meticulously planned workouts.
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“I didn’t have doubts,” Lindwurm said. “I must have texted my dad ten to 15 times before the Trials to get his passport. I truly believed I was going to make that team.”
Periods of homelessness, losing her mom to cancer, married right out of college and divorced—any one of these challenges might have derailed her. But they didn’t. In fact, they made her stronger.
“I’ve always had this belief that I was going to do something great, that I had the ability. I felt it in my heart and soul. That I wasn’t going to live this normal life. I could do something amazing if I worked hard for it,”
Beginings
Dakotah is the only child of Shawn and Connie Bullen. She grew up in St. Francis, about 40 miles north of the Twin Cities. Like a lot of Minnesota kids, she started playing hockey in second grade—her first Olympic dreams involved skates, not running shoes. Her parents divorced when she was in elementary school, and shortly after that, her mom started suffering a debilitating array of symptoms, including fatigue so severe that sometimes she couldn’t get out of bed. Eventually, she couldn’t work. Connie Bullen went to doctor after doctor but no one could provide a diagnosis, and without a diagnosis, she couldn’t get financial assistance to help pay rent. When Dakotah was in middle school, she and her mom sometimes stayed with relatives but sometimes had to make do by sleeping in their car in a Walmart parking lot. This, at a time when many of Dakotah’s classmates were feeling deprived because they didn’t have the latest smartphone or $150 sneakers. She wasn’t immune to the unfairness. Some in her situation would have used this as an excuse for bad behavior or failure at school and socially.
“Partly, that’s not who I am,” Dakotah said. “I am not one to lash out in general. My mom was going through so much mentally, being misdiagnosed. She was so unlike the mom I knew as a child. I could see it was wearing on her. Me being mean about that would only make her feel worse. We were in a system, and I was determined not to fall into the traps of being a bad student or not turning in my homework. The way out of that, as I saw it, was working hard and making sure I did better for myself. Being outwardly angry toward my mom wouldn’t have changed anything. We were a bit of a team—she was honestly my very best friend.”
“I knew I was going to do something big because I was always told I was going to do something big”
Afraid their homelessness would jeopardize her ability to stay with her mom, Dakotah didn’t mention it when she stayed with her dad. But when he chastised her for not keeping her phone charged, she couldn’t keep the secret any longer. In an amazing display of generosity, Shawn Bullen immediately stepped up and rented a townhome where they could all live together, creating a family unit rather than merely subsidizing an apartment for Dakotah and Connie. And this was key to Dakotah’s growing sense of self, that she was loved and important.
“Stability was more than just housing. My mom’s health issues were pretty severe. Even after she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, getting the right medicine was a really long process. To have my dad there gave me extra stability. He could drive me to hockey practice or to my friend’s house. When I look back at it, having two parents who 100% told me I could do whatever I wanted if I worked hard was really important. They believed in me. My mom said, ‘Dakotah, I don’t know what you’re here to do in this world, but you’re going to do something amazing. You’re going to change the world.’ Maybe that was just the mom in her talking, but her always having such high belief in me…I knew I was going to do something big because I was always told I was going to do something big. I have incredible memories with my mom. It was not always easy, but that made me a gritty person. I never look back and say I wish my childhood had been different.”
falling in Love with running
By eighth grade Dakotah was the starting goalie for St. Francis/North Branch, living and breathing hockey. This mono-focus didn’t sit well with her mom, who encouraged her to broaden her activity horizons. Dakotah considered tennis but couldn’t abide the wardrobe requirements—skirts—so she went out for track her freshman year. She did not show immediate talent. By her own admission, she was “terrible.” Other 14-year-olds might have been disheartened and quit, but Dakotah dug in and started working harder at practice and running on the weekends.
“It’s so natural to me to get better if I’m bad at something,” she said. “You know, my dad’s the hardest worker I know. He was up at 2 am, 3 am, to go to work. If he doesn’t know how to do something, he figures it out. Having that example, it doesn’t feel like there’s any other option.”
She continued to play hockey in the winter and summer all the way through high school but thoughts of playing in college were fading. Instead, she found herself falling in love with running.
“In track and cross country, working harder meant measurable improvement. In hockey, I might have a great game but we still lost. With running, if I worked harder, I got faster. And it was so social and fun. When you’re the goalie, you’re in the net by yourself.”
One can imagine the bubbly, ever-smiling Dakotah jogging along with her teammates, chatting and laughing, in the moment, as high schoolers are. Little risk of overthinking. Certainly, she put in the work and saw improvement, but it was largely in service of being a contributing member of the team. By her senior year, she estimated her long run was 7 or 8 miles, with no more than 30 miles/week. That year she finished the Roy Griak Cross Country Invitational in 169th place in 22:09 (just over 7-minute/mile pace), and graduated with PRs in track of 5:35 for 1600 meters, and 11:56 for 3200 meters. “I never made it to the state meet. It wasn’t even very close, to be honest,” she laughed.
For perspective, Fiona O’Keeffe, who won the Olympic Trials Marathon and will be a teammate of Dakotah’s in Paris this summer, placed fourth in the Nike Cross Country Nationals as a sophomore in high school in 17:31, a 5:39 minute/mile pace. O’Keeffe won the California State 3200 meter race in 2016, and was a two-time California state cross country champion. Sara Hall, one of many highly decorated women at the Trials Marathon, finished her high school career with a 4:46 best at 1600 meters, and 10:11 at 3200 meters. Olympic teammate in the marathon, Emily Sisson, was already a seasoned international competitor by the time she graduated from high school, having set a U.S. national record for high school girls of 15:48 for 5000 meters.
Those women’s impressive high school stories could already be told in places, minutes and seconds. It must also be said that a fair number of high schoolers who won state championships never ran again. While Dakotah’s high school times were indeed modest, the groundwork was laid for an untapped aerobic beast who simply loved running.
Photo by Katrina Gaisford – 2024 Olympic Trials
She wasn’t recruited by any college, but Northern State track and cross country coach Kevin Bjerke thinks Dakotah likely received a general letter from their DII program. “I was so in love with running, I would have kept doing it even if I had not walked on. I had improved pretty substantially every year in high school, which made me think I was not anywhere near my ceiling. And I’d been playing sports ever since I could remember—not being on a team was a scary thought. I loved the camaraderie, so I thought, why not give it a shot?”
After a visit to the Aberdeen, South Dakota campus, Bjerke invited Dakotah to walk on to the team. “I saw she had a great personality and would be a good fit for the team, even if she didn’t blossom as a runner,” he said.
Running 40 to 50 miles/week as a freshman was quite a jump from the 30 miles she’d been doing in high school, but she seemed to handle it well, and was consistently the third to fifth runner in cross country that fall (2013).
In track, Dakotah went immediately to the 10,000 meters. “There was zero question,” Bjerke said. “Her form, her ability to just float through long runs and recover quickly—everything about her just screamed distance runner.”
Dakotah and freshman teammate Sasha Hovind had come into Northern State with the same high school PRs, but Sasha improved dramatically that first year. “Sophomore year, Sasha made nationals. I was far from making nationals. I sat there and watched her raise that trophy over her head and thought, I had the same PRs as she did; there’s no reason I couldn’t be there. She took me under her wing and said, ‘Here’s everything I did. You can do it too.’”
It was apparent to everyone that longer was better for Dakotah. Bjerke sent the runners home for the summer with instructions to get in some local 5Ks and 10Ks, but Dakotah found an advertisement for the Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon and couldn’t let go of the idea.. “When I asked Coach Bjerke about doing it, he said absolutely not!” She persisted, bargaining that she’d do it really slowly, like a long run rather than a race. That promise fell by the wayside when she got to an aid station and was informed that the first woman was only a minute ahead. Dakotah won the 2014 Eugene Curnow in 4:21. And the 2015 version in 3:57. And 2016 in 4:01.
With gradual increase in volume came steady improvement in performances. By her senior year, she was putting in a 16-mile long run, and topped out at 80 miles/week. She laughed remembering that the guys on the team weren’t thrilled when she showed up for the long run because they knew she’d push the pace, especially at the end—6:30, 6:20. Now, of course, they’re taking credit for her success.
“Eighty miles a week is flirting with risk versus reward,” Bjerke said. “But Dakotah had such a nice progression, and just ate up all the miles I could throw at her with ease. She had one major injury her senior cross country season, so she got a fifth cross country season, and graduated in December 2017.”
Her Northern State career included five nationals qualifiers and two All-American honors in cross country and track, and PRs of 16:47 for 5,000 meters, and 34:57 for 10,000 meters.
Coming back to her apartment after the last cross country national meet in 2017 was a bit of a shock. A big empty. She’d been part of a team since second grade. What now?
“She was interested in continuing to run after college, and it was clear she had a love for it,” Bjerke said. “I thought the [2020] Olympic Trials Marathon was a fairly achievable goal. Her tempo runs are 6:10, 6:20 with ease. I had very little doubt about her being able to qualify for the Trials, which I think was 2:45, but at that time, there was very little indication she’d be under 2:30 and knocking on the door to the best marathoners in the country. Honestly, I thought making the Trials would be the pinnacle achievement of her post-collegiate running.”
MInnesota Distance Elite
The team atmosphere seemed to suit her, so Bjerke first contacted Andrew Carlson, a former pro runner with Minnesota Distance Elite, and then the coach of the group, Chris Lundstrom. Though Dakotah didn’t have the times to qualify as a full member of the team, Lundstrom invited her to train with the team. She moved to the Twin Cities in early 2018, got a substitute teaching job, and started her post-collegiate running as a walk-on. Again.
2018 City of Lakes Half Marathon with Minnesota Distance Elite (formely Team USA Minnesota)
Even for those coming out of college with NCAA titles, pro running is a gamble that, even in the best of circumstances, barely allows athletes to pay rent and keep up with their student loans. Graduate school, career, family, and major purchases usually have to be put on hold. For most, going pro is a limited time experiment. But Dakotah did not give herself a deadline.
“That would have been a wise thing to do, but no. I thought I would do it as long as I loved it. I thought as long as I worked hard, something would work out. That was incredibly naive, I know.”
If there was anything she excelled at, it was hard work. Logging 80 to 90 miles/week, she notched a 1:16 at the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon the summer of 2018. That and solid performances at shorter races earned her a full membership on Minnesota Distance Elite. Her first go at racing the marathon, California International in late 2018, ended in a DNF, a tough learning experience. She came back to place fourth at the 2019 Grandma’s Marathon in 2:34, well clear of the 2:45 needed to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Trials Marathon. Again, that performance far exceeded anything that her running resume to date would have predicted. Both coach and athlete were delighted, but not surprised.
“The marathon is clearly her best event,” Lundstrom said, “and it’s not a distance that’s contested in college. And it takes a few years to get near your potential because of the demands of the event. Also, as a D2 runner from a small high school, she was not exposed to the kind of high level competition a D1 runner might have had. A D2 runner like Dakotah might have more potential in the marathon than it would appear on paper.”
Practicalities of paying rent aside, she liked the balance of having something in her life besides running, so she always had at least one part-time job. In early 2020, her mom was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer. Connie moved in with her daughter so Dakotah could more easily care for her. Connie Bullen, her inspiration, her best friend, passed away May 30, 2020, at the age of 49. It was a huge blow, but made her even more committed to her mom’s belief in her destiny.
While some pros top out at 80 miles/week, Dakotah thrived on high mileage, gradually increasing to 110 then 120 miles/week over the next four years, notably without injury. Nothing mysterious really—she was consistent, year in, year out, putting in the work. She won Grandma’s Marathon again in 2021 and 2022, competed well in a field of the best runners in the world at the Boston Marathon in 2022 and 2023, and lowered her PR to 2:24 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, and still, still, names like Emily Sisson, Sara Hall, Keira D’Amato, Betsy Saina, Molly Seidel, and Aliphine Tuliamuk far overshadowed Dakotah Lindwurm in the media.
“I like the challenge of getting better. It puts a chip on my shoulder. You know, underdog is a role I like to play. I never would have fallen in love with running the way I did if I had been good at it right away. I wouldn’t get that dopamine rush of seeing big improvements.”
2024 olympic trials
After the Chicago Marathon her focus shifted to the Olympic Trials Marathon, three-and-a-half months away. She moved to Florida in December to acclimate, cleared the calendar of all races, and settled on a plan to build to 130 miles/week—ambitious, but supported by her history.
“Coach Lundstrom has been really good about building me up slowly and cautiously. I’d topped out at 120 miles/week for the last several marathons, and it had gone well, so I suggested 130 miles. I thought I could handle it. When I get into those high mileage weeks, I’m so tired my body doesn’t have time to process how much it’s doing. When I get into the taper I feel worse because my body has time to tell me my quads hurt. But for those 4 to 6 weeks before a marathon, I’m comfortable being in that zombie state.”
Lundstrom, too, was comfortable with the “subtle shift” from 120 miles/week to 130. “She’s incredibly consistent, and takes care of the little things. And she doesn’t go out and jog—her miles are at an honest clip.”
“I have this self belief that I was going to do something great, that I had the ability. I felt it in my heart and soul, I wasn’t going to live this normal life. I could do something amazing if I worked hard for it.”
Dakotah had the eighth fastest marathon PR going into the Olympic Trials in Orlando, which may be close to the front of the field, but this is not horseshoes. She was not getting a lot of pre-race attention from the media. Yet she and Coach Lundstrom were quite optimistic.
“Other than Betsy Saina, I didn’t believe anyone else had as good a buildup as I did. There was not a single workout where I wished it had gone better. I was near or faster on every workout than I’ve ever run.”
Lundstrom, too, thought a top three finish was doable. “We talked about it. Looking at the list of PRs, those are times people have run on the very best day of their life, which might have been ten years ago. You have to set those aside. A third of the women will not be in shape or injured or not really prepared. Another third will do something not optimal—freaking out because it’s the Olympic Trials, going out too fast. We thought if Dakotah could control her effort and run a smart race on that day, her odds looked a lot better than by simply looking at everyone’s PRs.”
The plan was to be “unseen and unheard” as long as possible, moving up by stealth, but seeing her family at the start of the second loop (of four), she got excited and took the lead briefly. Self-belief or no, she stifled it and faded back into the chase pack. Around 22 miles, when the rubber hit the road, and she was battling Caroline Rotich for that third spot, her mantra came out, one she’s used since college—I am strong, I am fast, my speed will last. She didn’t speed up, she just kept her pace. Relentlessly, steadily. But Rotich hung on just in her wake. The strain showed—her signature smile didn’t appear until steps before the tape, where she joined fellow Olympic teammates Fiona O’Keeffe and Emily Sisson.
“I think I was just in shock. All my hard work, and deep belief in myself had finally paid off!”
Minnesotan in paris
Puma, Dakotah’s sponsor, flew her and Coach Lundstrom to Paris to preview the Olympic marathon course. Here was Lundstrom’s assessment: “It’s fairly flat in central Paris, but then you run out to Versailles, ten miles over what would appear to be a small mountain range. It’s mind-boggling. I’ve never seen anything like that in a road marathon. It’s going to come down to who can handle that terrain and then be able to run the last 10K.”
Media attention has added another element to Dakotah’s schedule since February. Seeing her struggling to recover, former Minnesota Distance Elite teammate Katie Jermann advised Dakotah to pay attention to self-care. “I told her she didn’t have to always be 100 percent,” Jermann said. “Dakotah at 60 percent is more than most of us are on our very best day.”
In May, Dakotah focused on some shorter races, before starting her build toward the August Olympic marathon. As of May, she was still working as a paralegal and coaching others through Team Run Run, but says she’ll pull back on work once marathon training starts.
Dakotah joins a proud legacy of track and field Olympians from Minnesota. Of course there’s Carrie Tollefson (1500m, 2004) who provided commentary for the 2024 Olympic Trials Marathon. Others that come to mind are: Joe Klecker (10,000m, 2021), Mason Ferlic (steeplechase, 2021), Payton Otterdahl (Shot put, 2021), Ben Blankenship (1500m, 2016), Garry Bjorklund (10,000m, 1976), Janice Klecker (marathon, 1992), Ron Daws (marathon, 1968), Buddy Edelen (marathon, 1964), Shani Marks (triple jump, 2008), Steve Placensia (10,000m, 1988 and 1992), Bob Kempainen (marathon, 1992 and 1996), Kara Goucher (5000m / 10,000m 2008, marathon 2012). There are many more.
Like Dakotah, many of these Olympians were long shots to make the team at the time. Something to do with the weather, or Minnesota’s position in the Midwest, or our understated nature. In fact, Dakotah sees these as reasons Minnesota has so many dedicated runners. “You have to be a gritty human, trudging through the snow to get to the bus stop. Everything is kind of hard. I mean, how hard can a 5K be when a few months ago you had to shovel out your car?
“If you can survive a winter here, you can survive a marathon.”
It’s the first really steamy day in the Twin Cities. Dakotah and twelve of her Minnesota Distance Elite teammates are on Washburn High School’s track, stretching, doing drills, changing from trainers to faster trainers. A media team follows Dakotah around, getting a closeup of her shoes, the sheen of sweat on her face, the banter between teammates, the tattoo on her calf: Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us, from Hebrews 12:1. It’s controlled chaos, Coach Lundstrom says as he juggles three watches, since people are at different points in their training for different races. Dakotah and Annie Frisbie will be heading to New York City in a few days to race the Mini 10K Women’s Race. They’ve got a descending ladder—1600, 1200, 800, 400, and 4 x 200, with minimal rest.
Game face on, Dakotah takes the lead for the 1600.
“They were supposed to shoot for about 5-minute pace, but they just came through in 70 seconds, so about 4:40 pace,” Lundstrom says. “Must be a bit of adrenalin.”
As the intervals get shorter, Annie’s speed and Dakotah’s claim to fame as a never-say-die marathoner become apparent.
“Cowboy, take me away,” Dakotah laughs as they blast off for a 400.
contributors
sarah barker
Sarah Barker lives and runs in St. Paul. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Deadspin, Runner’s World, and elsewhere.
Track Photos: Isaiah Rustad
Isaiah Rustad is a photographer based in the Twin Cities. His work revolves around sports, live events, and anything else involving action. Running photography is a new passion of Isaiah’s. In the past year he’s photographed for Mill City Running, TC Running Company, Providence Academy Track and Field, and more. His portfolio of work can be found at isaiahrustad.com/running
If you’ve ever spent time running with a local club, training for a race, or spectating at an event in the Twin Cities, there’s a good chance you’ve crossed paths with Danny Docherty. An elite runner and native of St. Paul, his racing and coaching life is deeply rooted in Minnesota.
Whether working as Program Director at Run Minnesota, training and racing with Team USA Minnesota (now Minnesota Distance Elite), or coaching with Highland Groveland Recreation Association, just to name a few – Danny has influenced many local athletes, students and organizations through his work and mentorship.
At 34 years old, his list of running accolades is long – but you may never know it by chatting with him.
When asked about one of his favorite running memories, Danny doesn’t tout his third-place finish at the 2019 Twin Cities Marathon (TCM) or his two-time qualification for the Olympic Trials in the Marathon. Instead, he recalls supporting his mom during a marathon she was running.
“It was a windy day at the Virginia Beach Marathon and I jumped in the race to help block the wind for her. She was unable to finish the race that day but I think it showed me that it is always worth the attempt to go for big goals, even when things don’t work out the way we want them to.”
The need for grit in the face of unexpected challenges has played a big role in Danny’s running career, and has led him to some of his proudest racing accomplishments.
Photo: Wayne Kryduba / Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon
“[The 2019 Twin Cities Marathon] seems like a time when it all came together for me. I wouldn’t necessarily rate it as my best performance in my career, but it was a race where I had doubts about whether I would finish at all.
“I fell off the lead pack around 15 miles and ran the next 10 miles basically solo. I experienced some cramps after 20 miles and had to really battle coming up Summit Avenue. By staying with the race and never quitting, I was able to finish in third place in what is still my marathon personal best of 2:15:55.”
Danny credits much of his success that day to all his friends and family who came out to bike along the course and cheer him on from the side lines.
“I think that support is what made me not want to give in and it is special when you feel like it is bigger than just you and a race. There is so much support that happens along the way in the training and encouragement throughout a career.”
Danny’s journey to the TCM finish line in 2019 shares themes with his much longer running journey over the past 30 years – a strong support system to help him celebrate his achievements and lift him up during challenges.
His path to the sport began when he was very young, biking and running around his childhood neighborhood of Summit Hill with friends during the summer.
Then in 8th grade, he ran his first one-mile race competitively, going neck-and-neck with his classmate all the way to the finish line. “From that moment, I realized how fun the competition of the sport could be.”
During Danny’s sophomore year at Cretin-Derham Hall (CDH) in St. Paul, he joined the Track and Field Team led by his coach Chris Babcock, and also ran cross country.
In addition to running, he was also involved in basketball, soccer and baseball. He attributes some of those experiences to helping him become a more successful runner.
“In high school, our club soccer coach JJ really challenged us. That was the hardest I had trained in my life. He would have us run loops around Como Lake for 5-6 miles while dribbling the ball. It really paid off in the coming seasons of both soccer and running. His influence came at the right time in my life.”
The influence of Coach JJ paired well with Coach Babcock’s approach to running. The CDH distance program emphasized giving it your all and helping others get better.
“We went through some challenging workouts as a team. I still remember the 10x400m workout at the Macalester College track on a rainy Saturday morning. It was the hardest workout of my life up to that point. But when you are completing the work with 30 teammates, it becomes slightly easier and more fun. Coach Babcock found a way to combine fun and hard work into one.”
In 2006, Danny qualified for the MN State Meet in the 3200m and his soccer team won their league. Then during his senior year, he went on to become an All-State performer in the 1600m and 3200m, finishing 5th and 4th respectively.
“Running is a sport that asks, ‘What can you give?’ The effort and results are completely dependent on what I put into it. I appreciate that equal exchange. I also liked the simplicity of the competition as a high schooler. I eventually created the goal of earning an athletic scholarship to attend college and compete at the next level. Running gave me a drive that was above and beyond the drive I had in other areas of life.”
Following high school, he attended Loyola University in Chicago where he ran Cross-Country and Track and Field at the Division I level while studying English and Psychology.
While in college, he qualified for the NCAA West Prelims in the 10,000 meter, and received All-Conference Honors in Cross Country and Track. Currently, Danny ranks as the #6 All-Time performer in the 10,0000 meter at Loyola.
Amid many accomplishments, Danny’s time in college also brought injuries.
“I had a soft tissue injury in my knee that kept me out of my junior year of Track. I trained solo for most of this time in a pool, either swimming or aqua jogging. I remember shifting my perspective and learned to see improvement in my swimming times that helped me see I was still getting better even without running miles. This helped me become resilient and aware that being healthy requires discipline and precise choices in life.
[It] also helped shift my perspective to maximize the time when I was healthy…to give everything I had to each race. I didn’t know when I would get another opportunity to race so I figured I needed to put it all on the line today and just be grateful I was able to run.”
Since college, Danny has gone on to become the USATF Minnesota Runner of the Year in 2019, 2022 and 2023, and the winner of the 5K, 10K and 10 Mile races during TCM Weekend in 2021.
Most recently, Danny qualified for the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials (he also qualified for the 2020 Trials on 3 separate occasions) – where he finished 64th in the Men’s Field with a time of 2:20:41.
Nadir Yusuf – Male Athlete of the Year in Track at Minnesota State University Moorhead between 2019-2021 – trained for the Trials alongside Danny in Orlando. They met at the 2021 Medtronic TC 10 Mile Race, where Nadir locked in a second-place finish following Danny’s first-place time.
The two of them spent weeks together heat training in Orlando to prepare for the February 2 race featuring the top 300+ runners from across the country vying for a spot on the Summer Olympics team.
Nadir – who finished 25th with a time of 2:16:15 – often trains alone, but was grateful to have Danny as his training partner, especially during the long runs. “We shared lots of words of encouragement and spent our workouts and easy, long runs just blabbering with each other. It really made my Olympic Trials experience what it was. I’m very thankful for everything he’s done for me. Running brings you to good people,” he said.
In addition to racing, Danny’s road to coaching started when he got his USATF Level 1 Coaching Certification after college, which opened the door to a variety of opportunities.
First, he became an assistant coach at his alma mater Cretin-Derham Hall, where he coached the Raiders alongside his high school coach Chris Babcock.
“I find a lot of joy through the experience of coaching. It’s a great way to connect with people and help them grow through a team experience. I enjoy how each season and team is a little different and there is a sort of chemistry that develops each season and makes a specific team tick. I enjoy the process of finding that energy and then helping it grow throughout a season.”
Danny’s love for coaching has helped him make a home with a variety of other organizations throughout the Twin Cities.
In his role with Run Minnesota, Danny has worked since 2022 as Program Director and Coach for the organization’s Training Program, where he supports people of all ages and abilities in preparing for distances from the 5K all the way up to the marathon.
Run Minnesota member Mari Ruddy trained with Danny for the 2023 Grandma’s Marathon – her second race of that length – which she ran 10 minutes faster than her first marathon 12 years earlier. As someone with Type 1 Diabetes who’s going through her third round of breast cancer, she appreciates the care Danny provides in helping her navigate the challenges of the sport.
“Danny consistently makes himself and his knowledge available to every runner in the program. He’s attentive, kind and he always makes me feel that my questions are worth listening to and responding to with attention and thoroughness…even for the ‘slower’ runners like me.” – Mari Ruddy
In addition to working with Run Minnesota, Danny is Director of Track and Baseball Operations with Groveland Park Recreation Association and Assistant Coach for Track and Cross Country at Visitation and DeLaSalle High Schools respectively. He also has an independent coaching business, Docherty Coaching, where he helps athletes and coaches grow in the sport.
Today, Danny holds Level 2 coaching certifications from USATF (Youth Specialization), USTFCCCA (Endurance Specialist) and the Lydiard Foundation.
Outside of coaching and racing, Danny finds camaraderie and joy running with El Jefe Running Club in St. Paul.
“I met members of El Jefe in various walks of life. [We] go for runs, meet for coffee and share the love of the sport. It’s a community I greatly cherish. We are a team because we all know each other well and can celebrate if it’s a good day or pick each other up on a not-so-good day.”
El Jefe members at the start of the 2022 Twin Cities 10 Mile & Marathon
This love of running isn’t just a part of Danny’s life; it’s woven into his family. His mom, Bev Docherty, was also an elite runner for many years.
The marathon he jumped in to help shield her from the wind? Bev was racing that day in Virginia Beach to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials.
In addition to qualifying for and completing 6 Olympic Trials, she’s also a two-time U.S. Masters National Champion in the Marathon, a 2003 Inductee to the Minnesota Track and Field Hall of Fame, and has spent 28 years teaching and coaching at the K-12 level.
“I look back [at that Virginia Beach marathon] now and it may have been a passing of the racing torch [from my mom to me],” Danny says.
Looking ahead, Danny is preparing for the 2024 City of Lakes Half Marathon and Twin Cities Marathon. But he’s also prioritizing time for other things that are important to him, like getting outside to kayak and camp and spending time with family and friends, including some of his teammates who have lifted him up throughout his running career.
“When I reflect on the times when I’ve made the most gains in my running, it is always because I had a specific team, teammate, or collective team goal to get the most out of our efforts in the sport. I think teamwork transcends the finite energy of an individual effort into the shared vision of a community.
The running community can offer something to everyone who joins. It can take time to find that group or team that will help you get the most out of yourself, but I believe the search and discovery process is worth it in the end.”
Denise is excited to have the opportunity to coach and run with you! A native of Rochester, MN and now residing in Monticello, Denise began her running career as a sprinter on the high school track team.
Denise attended St. Cloud State University (quite some time ago) for both her undergrad and masters programs in the area of Communication Disorders. Denise works in the Monticello School District as a Speech-Language Pathologist.
Denise, being a mom of two, had a busy lifestyle as her kids were growing up. However, with her summers off, she found she had time to run a few miles on the treadmill everyday. This was a casual hobby for her that soon turned into a passion.
Denise completed her first marathon in 2017 by default (ask her to tell the story!) in Disney World. A couple of months later she had her sights on improving her time and one day running Boston. After qualifying three times, she finally was accepted to run in 2021 and 2022.
In total, Denise has run 17 marathons and many more half marathons, 10k and 5k races. She loves sharing her joy of running with everyone which led her to obtain her RRCA coaching certification in 2022. You will always see her cheering on other runners both on and off the course. In her free time, Denise likes to craft, read, travel, and drink one too many McDonald’s Cokes (if you know you know)
Denise is here to support your goals and listen to your concerns. Whether you are a first time runner or a seasoned runner, she is excited to connect with you and help you find your joy in running.
Are you passionate about helping others achieve their personal athletic goals in a positive, organized, and fun environment?
We are currently looking for Certified Coaches and experienced runners to become Training Team Leads in our Full and Half Marathon training programs, with a particular need for 10+ minute/mile pace group Leads.
There were 23 athletes with local ties to Minnesota to cheer for at the US Olympic Trials. These athletes represented a mix of those originally from MN, current residents, and high school and college alumni. The US Olympic Trials, like every marathon, has story lines filled with themes of heartbreak, redemption, breakthroughs, and perseverance. In an effort to capture some of these stories, we commissioned freelance photographer, Katrina Gaisford, to be the official Run Minnesota press photographer on the ground in Orlando.
Congratulations to all the athletes who participated in the trials on their accomplishments and to Dakotah Lindwurm on making the 2024 Olympic team!
We believed!
Reed Fischer (front left in adidas), Hopkins High School Alumni.
Biya Simbassa (center second row in Under Armour) attended Bloomington Kennedy High School.
The race start with Carrie Tollefson, Olympian and resident of St. Paul, announcing.
Nadir Yusuf of Moorhead ranked 69th going into the trials; finished in 25th place.
Joel Reichow (center in white) from White Bear Lake.
Gabi Rooker (center) of Minneapolis.
Dakotah Lindwurm of Minnesota Distance Elite getting ready for the start of the women’s race.
Crowd favorite, Run Minnesota Program Director and Saint Paul-ite, Danny Docherty (in white)
Left – Breanna Sieracki (right) of Bloomington with Minnesota Distance Elite. Her last marathon before the trials was the supposed to be the canceled Twin Cites Marathon.
Right – Elena Hayday, former Gopher, now sponsored by Oiselle.
Left – Ben Olson of Coon Rapids was the youngest Minnesotan. This was his second marathon.
Center – “Queen of the Road Mile” Heather Kampf of Minneapolis running for Mill City Running.
Right – Tyler Jermann of St. Paul with Minnesots Distance Elite. His instagram says he’s using this to jump start his spring training. He’s the three time City of Lakes Half Marathon Champ, so we are pretty excited to hear that!
Annie Frisbie of Minneapolis with Minnesota Distance Elite, on her way to a top 10 finish.
Nadir Yusuf
Danny Docherty
Bria Wetsch, Holy Angels Alumni, on her way to a 2:36:00 finish.
Laura Paulsen (left) of Pylmouth, MN.
Kim Horner (second from left) of Minneapolis. Kim was ranked 144th going into the trials and landed a time of 2:36:47 for a 40th place finish.
Dakotah’s Day
Dakotah’s Day
Katrina Gaisford is a Twin Cities based freelance sports and wedding photographer. Her work has been featured in Minnesota Bride and Trials of Miles. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Theory.
Jake Lepak is an avid runner and coach. A native of St. Louis, MO, he attended Macalester College in St. Paul where he ran cross-country and track and field at the Division III level and graduated with degrees in Economics and Statistics.
Growing up, he primarily focused on soccer, wrestling and sprint events in track. A medical injury forced him to retire from soccer and wrestling and he gradually transitioned to distance running his sophomore year of high school. With distance running as his sole focus, he was able to take advantage of skills he learned from other sports and excel enough to receive an opportunity to run at Macalester College.
In college, he continued his development and experienced both success and failure. He was able to compete against some of the most talented runners in Division III through the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and his passions for excellence and performance continued to grow throughout his 4 years as a student athlete. While the COVID-19 pandemic did cut his college career short, his time at Macalester left more to be desired, so he continued on running as a way to find some peace during a time of confusion and chaos and looked to continue elevating his performance along the way.
Following his graduation, he received his RRCA coaching certification and continues to stay informed on the latest developments in the coaching sphere to inform his own training. He continues to train at a high level and has primarily focused on marathon and greater distances these past couple years. Some highlights include placing 16th at the Twin Cities Marathon in 2021 and 3rd in the Afton 50k trail race, sporting PRs of 2:40 and 4:18, respectively.
Outside of running and coaching, he works at U.S. Bank as a technical consultant. He is heavily involved with Special Olympics Minnesota, both as a coach for weightlifting and as a Young Professional Board Member, which acts as an extension to the Executive Board of Directors. He also has a wide range of interests and hobbies – from arts and crafts, to movies, reading, listening to podcasts, and much more!
He is passionate about supporting others so that they can reach their goals and building a large network of friends along the way. He continues to learn through a wide variety of resources and continually pursue educational opportunities to both inform his own running and work with athletes of all levels.
Ticket Punched:
Minnesota’s Best Marathoners Earn Chance to Compete at the Olympic Trials Race in Orlando
By: Jonathon Heide with help from Patrick Mader
The ultimate race in the sport of long-distance running has always been the Olympic Marathon. Powered by the mythos of the storied Greek runner who died, and boosted by the four-year pause between races, the unrivaled global competition at The Games is the pinnacle of the sport. This summer’s Paris Olympic Marathon will draw the world’s attention.
For American runners who love the sport though, the real excitement begins with the penultimate race: The United States Olympic Trials. Dreaming about the race elevates our heart rate, prompts heated debates, and puts us into fangirl/fanboy mode ready to cheer at the top of our lungs. In running vernacular, it is often called just “The Trials,” which plays to the crazy nature of a 26.2 mile footrace in which the country’s best marathoners clash and dash.
Minnesotans will have 23 athletes with local ties to cheer for, and every one of them has taken a unique path to arrive at the starting line near Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando at 10 a.m. (EST) Feb. 3. Some were Minnesota state high school cross country champions, some ran at the University of Minnesota, some were middling DIII competitors, some are Olympians already—but all trained intensely to hit the new standards to qualify for race.
The 2024 US Olympic Trials qualifying time for men was pushed from 2:19 to 2:18—just a minute, but at 5:18 pace, that’s no easy gap.
For women though, the qualifying time leapt from 2:45 to 2:37—a testament to how much American women’s running has advanced. To run under 2:37, a marathoner has to click off sub-six-minute miles.
Any American who ran under those times from Jan. 1, 2022, to Dec. 5, 2023, qualified for the race (and a few qualified with half marathons under 1:03:00 for men and 1:12:00 for women). That’s 703 days of mind-boggling mile repeats, fatiguing fartleks, and brutal base-building. After the deadline, 227 men and 137 women met the goal. Twenty-six of them are either currently from Minnesota or were from here previously. (Three will not be running—Ben Blankenship is focusing on a 100-mile race, Rachel Drake is opting to run a 100K to qualify for Western States, and Emma Bates is recovering from an injury).
Many of the elite qualifiers successfully pushed USATF, the governing body, and NBC, which will broadcast the race, to change the start time (it was initially set for noon) over concerns about the Florida heat and humidity. But none of that sideshow really matters for Minnesotans. We, as a people, have a natural inclination for migration to Florida in February. We go from the -20 windchill around Bde Maka Ska to the beachy bearfoot runs, basking in the sunshine. Of course, the local elites have already been acclimating, and our ‘23-’24 winter is sans snow anyway.
So for our Olympic Trials runners from the North Star State, it won’t matter if the Florida sun and humidity emerge, or if the morning starts frosty and the orange trees’ crop is in danger. Several will be at the front, vying for a top-three finish: Dakotah Lindwurm, Annie Frisbee, Gabi Rooker, Joel Reichow, Biya Simbassa, and Reed Fischer are all big hitters. In typical Minnesotan fashion, they are also underdogs. But they are ready to rumble harder than a school of graphic designers wrestling over what loon design will go on the new state flag.
The top three finishers on the women’s side will be named to the Olympic team and given their kit to wear on the morning of Aug. 10 in Paris.
For the men though, the story is a little more complicated. Well, a lot more complicated. The top two men will be named to the team, but a third American male runner is not guaranteed at the Olympic race.
Here’s why: Countries can send a runner only if they meet one of two criteria. The first is having a countryman run under 2:08:10. This “unlocks” a spot for whomever the country decides to send. The second criteria is a top 80 ranking in the “Road to Paris” list published by World Athletics (only 80 athletes will be in the Olympic race). Athletes are granted points for the speed of their marathons and their placing in competitive races.
The United States “unlocked” two spots at the 2023 Chicago Marathon when Connor Mantz ran 2:07:47 and Clayton Young ran 2:08:00.
If the Trials was an uber-fast race, maybe someone will break 2:08:10 and the third spot will be unlocked. Could it happen in the Florida humidity? Maybe, but not likely.
More likely is an American staying in the top 80 of the “Road to Paris” list. Currently, NAZ Elite athlete Scott Fauble is 213th on that list, but since only the top three from each country count in the rankings, he is ranked 69th.
If everything stayed the same until May, when the list closes, Fauble’s ranking could “unlock” the third spot on the team, which seems almost assured. But he could be knocked down 10 places if we see record-fast times from runners in countries that don’t already have three runners on the list. Think Tanzania, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia.
So it is likely, but not guaranteed, that Fauble’s ranking could “unlock” the third spot on the team. This would allow the third-place finisher at the Olympic Trials Marathon to punch their ticket to the global stage.
Though there is one more catch.
The US Olympic men’s marathon team can only consist of runners who have dipped under 2:11:30 in a qualifying race. Less than 20 men have done so, which means that the Trials race will have to be fast (like 2:11:29 fast) for anyone who wants to finish top three and has not yet run that standard. So far, only 18 of the qualifiers have run under 2:11:30, and three of them are locals: Biya Simbassa, Joel Reichow, and Reed Fischer.
The American women have none of this trouble because, well, we’re in a new day of distance running for American women. More than 13 have run under the 2:26:50 Olympic qualifying standard, which includes Dakotah Lindwurm, Gabi Rooker, and Emma Bates. This will make for an epic Trials race that many, including Trials veteran Des Linden, are saying will be the best US competition ever. And the top three will be Paris bound without any complication.
Could one be a Minnesotan? We believe it! We tracked down all the qualifiers with connections to the Gopher State. Read through, pick your top three, get some popcorn and watch the race unfold in Orlando.
This Article Is Sponsored By
Run Minnesota, the oldest and largest running organization in the state, with a proud history of supporting running since 1961.
Additional: Emma announced she will not run the 2024 trials due to injury.
2014 NCAA DI 10,000m Champion (32:32.35); 2018 World Championship Half Marathon at Valencia, 27th (1:1a1:45); 2018 US Marathon Champion at CIM (2:28:19); 2019 USATF 25K Champion at Amway Bank River Run (1:23:51); 2019 Chicago Marathon fourth place (2:25:27); 2020 Olympic Trials, 7th (2:29:35); 2021 Chicago Marathon second place (2:24:20); 2022 World Championship Marathon in Eugene, seventh (2:23:14); 2023 Boston Marathon fifth (2:22:10)
Additional: 2014 Wisconsin State High School Cross Country Champion (DI); 2018 NCAA DI National Cross Country Championship 34th; 2021 NYC Marathon 7th (2:26:18); 2023 Berlin Marathon 17th
Additional: OTQ in the 2023 Houston Half, 15th woman overall, 7th at Grandma’s Marathon 2023 2nd at Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon 2022, 10th at Cherry Blossom Run 2022
Additional: Youngest competitor at the 2023 US Olympic Trials Marathon. Finished 11th at the 2023 NCAA DI 10,000m National Championship race, then jumped to the 2023 California International Marathon, where she finished third in her 26.2 debut. Nuttall did not race much in high school but did compete in the 2019 state cross country championship, where she placed 83rd. She was also a competitive figure skater and cross country skier.
College: University of Minnesota, Oregon Health and Science University
QT Race: California International Marathon 2023
Sponsors: Nike, Osprey
Additional: Decided against running the 2024 trials to run the Black Canyon 100k in February. 2018 US Trail Marathon Champion; 2020 US Olympic Trials Marathon 59th (2:41:58); 2023 CIM 5th (2:35:28)
College: Johns Hopkins University, Duke University, MIT
QT Race: 2022 Chevron Houston Marathon
Additional: 4-time NCAA Division III All-American; upcoming inductee into Johns Hopkins University Athletics Hall of Fame in April 2024; have competed for Twin Cities Track Club, Greater Boston Track Club, BAA, Tracksmith
High School: Kennedy High School, Bloomington then moved to Iowa and was at Sioux City North Prep.
College: Iowa Central Community College/Oklahoma University
QT Race: Prague Marathon 2023
Sponsors: Under Armor
Team: UA Mission Run Dark Sky Distance
Additional: In 2015, started professional career in Minnesota coached by Dennis Barker; Then went with American Distance Project in Colorodo; Victory 5k course record holder. 2023 US National 7 Mile Champion at the Bix 7 in Davenport, Iowa (32:35); 2023 Prague Marathon, 7th (2:10:34); 2023 World Athletics Half Marathon Championship, 25th, (1:01:28); 2022 Valencia Half Marathon, 17th (1:00:37); 2022 US 10K Champion at Great Cow Harbor in Northport, New York (28:12); 2021 US Olympic Trials 10,000 meters in Eugene, Oregon, 7th (27:59.94) 2021 US National Champion in the 25K at Amway Bank River Run in Grand Rapids, Michigan (1:14:27); 2021 US National Champion in the 10 mile at the Cherry Blossom 10 mile in Washington DC (46:18); 2019 NACAC Cross Country Champion at Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago (31:49); 2017 NACAC Cross Country Champion at Boca Raton, Flordia (22:40)
Additional: NCAA All American (started as a walk on at Drake), 2022 Boston Marathon, (2:10:24), 2022 New York Marathon, 10th, 2023 World Athletics Half Marathon Championship, 53rd, 1:03:56
Additional: 1st Minnesotan at Grandma’a Marathon 2023. Minnesota State University Moorhead record holder in the 10,000m (2022 Mt. SAC Relays, 5th 29:03:05)
High School: Stillwater High School (2006, 2007 Minnesota State 1600m Champion)
College: Mississippi State, University of Minnesota
QT Race: McKirdy’s Micro Marathon 2023
Sponsors: Unsponsored
Additional: Decided against running the 2024 trials to run the Rabid Raccoon 100 mile in March. Road mile personal best of 3:52.7, set while winning the “Minnesota Mile” in Duluth which is the fastest mile in Minnesota state history.
2016 Olympian in the 1500; distance medley team World Record Holder, 2023 Climate Action x Athlete Advocacy Awardee, Founder of Endless Mileage, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering sustainable environments and programming that inspire the next generation of track & field athletes to break barriers.
Additional: 2013 Twin Cities Marathon, 9th (2:15:48); Set the World Record for an Indoor Track Marathon in 2016, then set it again in 2018 at the Annual Armory NYC Indoor Marathon World Record Challenge (2:19:01)
Additional: 2015 State CC Champion; 2017 State 1600 and 3200 Champion, 2015 NXN Heartland Boys Champion; 2019 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships, 10th
Additional: Won the TC 5k, TC 10k and TC 10 Mile in 2021, becoming the first person to win three events on TCM Weekend, 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier – Marathon, 3rd at the 2019 Twin Cities Marathon, #2 All-Time performer at Loyola in the 10000m – 29:16, 5x All-Conference Award Winner.
College: University of Minnesota, University of Portland
QT Race: Indianapolis Monumental Marathon 2023
Additional: 2012 Class A Minnesota state high school cross country champion. Helped Portland University to a second-place team finish at the NCAA DI Men’s Cross Country Championship after passing 19 people in the final stretch. For a while, he loaded up a bicycle and logged more than 11,000 miles circling the United States.
How to watch the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials:
The marathon will stream live on Peacock 10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. EST and broadcast (taped delay) on NBC 12:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EST.
Watch Parties that we know about:
Run Minnesota Watch party at Dual Citizen Brewing. – sold out –
