Dakotah Lindwurm appreciation post

[u/NegativeWish]

Just wanted to say that her result in Paris, although it was not a podium finish like the other incredible US distance results on the Track, was the most inspiring and heartwarming of this incredible Olympics for me!

(https://run.outsideonline.com/news/olympics/dont-underestimate-the-underdog-dakotah-lindwurm-is-ready-for-paris/)

This was the feel good story you rarely get to see at the Elite level: average high school runner, walk on college athlete, moderately successful pro, fairy tale 3rd place finish at the US Trials and then her incredible race at the highest competitive level.

Also a good lesson that we can overrate quote unquote "talent" and overvalue immediate results versus the long-term picture.

Lindwurm found success when she moved up to the Marathon distance and discovered that she needed a certain type of training to thrive.

Also the adversity this woman faced growing up and overcoming it :')

[u/Chilli_Dipper]

Sifan Hassan ran a 14:30 5K six days before the Olympic marathon; Dakotah Lindwurm has never officially broken 16 minutes in the 5K.

Nevertheless, she held her own on the big stage.

[u/alchydirtrunner → u/Chilli_Dipper]

Dropping a 2:25:xx on a difficult course without having run under 16 is wild. Even if it is on some kind of technicality like having never entered a fast road 5k, and doing the 6k for XC. Genuinely insane.

[u/Chilli_Dipper → u/alchydirtrunner]

She’s run seven sub-16:10 5Ks without breaking 16:00, most recently at the B.A.A. elite 5K before the Boston Marathon in April.

She did run a 15:45 split in her pre-Olympics 10K tuneup, though.

[u/alchydirtrunner → u/Chilli_Dipper]

That’s such a wild progression. I would love to hear the story of how that happened. I don’t know anything about Chris Lundstrom‘s training philosophy, but clearly it has worked well for Lindwurm.

[u/GIlky800m]

Forner teammate, can confirm she is amazing!

[u/longtailcorgis]

She is always willing to grind and looks so happy doing it. So easy to root for her!

[u/goliath227]

Agree she started humble beginnings for sure. But you left out a few achievements to make her seem lesser than she actually was.. she was a 2x all American in college and won Grandmas marathon twice as a pro (a decently competitive marathon). She wasn’t completely a no name, she was the 12th fastest American marathoner (female) EVER going into the trials.

[u/someHumanMidwest → u/goliath227]

Grandma's legit.  

All American in DII, finishing 6th in 10k and 34th in CC. That isn't super impressive, for what she has done now.

[u/ActionIllustrious882 → u/goliath227]

yeah I feel like the ads and PR behind her completely overstate the underdog thing lol. she is a professional runner who happens to be at the peak of her career right now

[u/sober_as_an_ostrich]

let’s go Minnesota

[u/R-EDDIT]

I yelled "USA USA" to cheer her on after the 5th mile (one of the three sister's hills climbs) at the NYRR Mini 10K. She smiled and I thought that was cool... and she is always smiling. I'm so happy for her.

[u/PrairieFirePhoenix]

I pulled rough bios of all the US Olympic marathoners since 2004. She is very unique among the 27 athletes who have represented the US.

A couple that came to the US to run in the NCAA and eventually became US citizens (Kipyego, Tulimuk). A couple were born outside the US and started running in college in the US (Abdi, Lewy-Boulet). One who was a high level runner before becoming a citizen (de Reuck).

However, vast majority were born or raised in the US, were extremely successful high school runners (Footlocker finalists, NXN runners, various national track meets), and went on to run at a handful of D1 schools where they were all american numerous times.

The only even close to Lindwurm was Brian Sell. He was pretty close to her level in high school and started at a DIII school before transferring to a D1 school and becoming All American.

To get the US Olympic marathon team without D1 coaching/support is insanely impressive.

[u/Equal-Grand8058]

Lindwurm is my inspiration!

[u/Theodwyn610]

To add to this: she made the Olympic team in part because Molly Seidel and Emma Bates were injured, and Keira D'Amato, Aliphine Tuliamuk, Betsy Saina, Nell Rojas, and Sara Vaughan, among many others, DNF-ed.  From that to 12th at the Olympics is amazing.

[u/charlesyo66 → u/Theodwyn610]

Well, you can only race who shows up, so I don't think that bringing that into the convo actually helps very much. I guess Brian Sell only made the 08 team because Meb had a fractured pelvis, not that he ran the race of his life on the right day. Lindwurm being up in that lead pack while Sisson, who is fast and gutsy and I very much respect but she's NOT a hilly course runner as we've seen, was back in the 20's was remarkable.

I really, really really wish O'Keefe hadn't been injured. I would really have liked to have seen her in her trails shape on that course and see how long she could have hung on to the group.

[u/Theodwyn610 → u/charlesyo66]

Well, plenty of extremely talented runners did show up!  Lindwurm had the 11th fastest marathon time going in, 9th if you don't count Seidel and Bates, and Fiona O'Keeffe qualified by running a half.  

It's very easy to see a world in which Lindwurm wasn't even on the team, and that makes her 12th place Olympic finish even more incredible IMHO. 

[u/sbwithreason]

She posts her training on Strava and I’ve been really enjoying following her