Dakotah Lindwurm Shines at Olympic Marathon

Sunday was a big day for Dakotah Lindwurm, who made a splash in her Olympic debut. After rocking the Grandma’s Marathon twice and nabbing third place at the U.S. Marathon Trials, the runner from St. Francis hit the Olympic stage with high hopes.

In the women’s marathon, she led the American team by finishing in 12th place with a time of 2:26:44. But that wasn’t all; Lindwurm also got engaged, sharing the exciting news with a photo in front of the Eiffel Tower.

On Instagram, she expressed her mixed feelings, posting, “Officially an Olympian. Officially a fiancée. 12th place. Feels a little bittersweet.” The day started off strong for her as she was in the top ranks shortly after the race began, finishing just under four minutes behind gold medalist Sifan Hassan, who set a new Olympic record.

Lindwurm’s journey was impressive, especially since she entered the race with the slowest personal record among the U.S. runners. At one point, she even found herself leading the pack. “I was like, did I just take out like a Mario Kart shortcut or something because I was in the lead,” she shared, reflecting on the moment.

Meanwhile, fellow American Emily Sisson finished 23rd with a time of 2:29:53. She mentioned feeling fatigued due to running three marathons in ten months leading up to the Olympics. “I’m pretty disappointed. Pretty sad,” Sisson admitted.

The marathon was a mix of excitement and effort, and while Lindwurm hoped for a top-10 finish, she was thrilled just to have crossed the finish line. She carried a mantra on her hand: “I am strong. I am fast. My speed will last.” At the end of the day, she proudly declared, “I’m an Olympian.”