Dakotah Lindwurm – Minneapolis Running Coach
$175.00 / month and a $19.00 sign-up fee
Having placed 3rd at the 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials, Dakotah is Paris-bound for the 2024 Summer Olympics. With a PB of 2:24:20, Dakotah has won the Grandma’s Marathon twice and was the 2019 Minnesota Runner of the Year.
Description
Minneapolis running coach Dakotah Lindwurm is an elite runner and is on the 2024 US Olympics marathon team, who loves coaching other runners on half and full marathons. She’s placed in the top spots at big races like the Boston marathon, and she’s here to help beginners to advanced runners reach their goals.
LEVELS: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
TYPES: Road, Track
DISTANCES: 5k/10k/Half Marathon, Marathon, Ultra
TRAINING PLATFORM: Final Surge
TRAINING PLAN: Individual, customized training plan
COMMUNICATION: Unlimited email, unlimited text, unlimited phone
RESPONSE TIME: Within 24 hours
LOCATION: Eagan, MN
IN-PERSON SESSIONS: No, online coaching only
SPECIALTIES
I specialize in the marathon and half marathon on the roads at any level. That said, I have 10+ years of running experience from the mile to the marathon.
An avid student of nutrition and running, I also believe strength training is an integral part of staying healthy and getting faster as a runner. I believe one of my greatest specialties as a coach is the ability to help athletes find a winning mindset.
PHILOSOPHY
The most important part about running is that overall you enjoy it. While of course we all have off days or workouts, it’s necessary that you have a positive outlook towards running in order to find the success you are looking for.
As a coach I want to focus on your longevity in the sport and will customize your training based on your goals. Everyone runs and trains for different reasons, therefore I believe everyone’s training should be different. Together we will create a healthy lifestyle and balance that will help you find success.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
As a college athlete I helped coach a kids program where we helped kids find their love for running. Since then I have coached three first time marathoners. They all started with the goals of finishing and all did so successfully. One of them went from ‘the couch to marathon’. As a coach I was successful in my most important goal, that they had positive experiences and enjoyed the process.
I have been coached for 10 years by great coaches who have taught me so much about different coaching strategies. Taking my experience as an athlete I feel incredibly prepared to coach all types of athletes.
ABOUT ME
I am a professional runner for Minnesota Distance Elite. My personal running specialty is in the marathon. I’m also a substitute teacher and graduate with a degree in biology education and chemistry. While my husband and I live in a big city we love trading it out for the woods and outdoors on the weekends with our dog.
BIG INFLUENCES
My biggest influence is my college coach, Kevin Bjerke, who took me, an average runner and made me an All-American and professional runner. Its because of him I believe anyone can achieve whatever goal they are dreaming of. This includes following the Jack Daniels approach with twists based on what my athletes needs/wants.
RACING HISTORY
This year I ran at the Olympic Trials and placed 36th. My PR in the marathon is 2:32. But I started as most runners do, in the back! As a high schooler I was the runner who came in last most of the time, but through extremely hard work and dedication I managed to walk on at a Northern State University, a D2 school in South Dakota. While there I continued to work hard and became a 2xAll-American in the 10k and cross country. I graduated with Olympic dreams.
I took my first shot at an Olympic Trials Standard in 2017 at CIM and absolutely, positively failed, dropping out at mile 20. From there I have learned and understood what it takes to put together a strong marathon. Aside from the marathon, I also enjoy racing the half marathon and 10k and occasional 5k.
PRs
- Marathon: 2:25:01 (June 2022) Grandma’s Marathon, 1st place
- Half Marathon: 1:09:36 (Jan. 2021) Houston Half Marathon
- 10 mile: 56:08 (Mar. 2019) Hot Dash
- 10k (road): 33:42 (Apr. 2019) Get in Gear
- 5k (road): 16:21 (May 2019) Brian Kraft
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
CONTACT DAKOTAH
Finding a coach who is a great fit for you is really important. We encourage you to email your coach prior to signing up so you can connect, communicate, and ensure a good athlete/coach fit.
PUBLICATIONS
- Interview post 3rd place finish at the US Olympic Marathon Trials 2024
- Podcast with Lindsey Hein
- Podcast with Citius Mag
- Podcast with Ali on the Run
- New York City Half Marathon Race Report – 3/20/22
- Houston Half Marathon Race Report – 1/16/22
- Boston Marathon Race Report – 10/11/21
- Podcast with Carrie Tollefson – 10/7/21
SOCIAL
Paul Sivanich –
Dakotah has been the perfect coach for me! Dakotah’s own running story and incredible improvement over the years is inspirational, and she brings a wealth of experience to her coaching. I had a chance to meet Dakotah at a shakeout run before Grandma’s Marathon this year and was immediately impressed with her cheerful enthusiasm. I had used on-line plans and training plans from books with some success while training for over 40 marathons, but I definitely felt like I was stuck. When I discovered that Dakotah was a Team RunRun coach, I signed up to have her coach me for the TC Marathon this fall.
I love to run but I have never really loved speed workouts and as a result I have not been consistent in running them on my own. Dakotah’s plan has made me accountable. The workouts have been very challenging, but never beyond my capability. The long runs are just different enough from what I had been doing to also make them more challenging but still doable. She also makes me take the occasional day off which has always been tough for someone like me who loves to run! She keeps it simple, but is happy to answer questions when I want more detail. I have actually surprised myself with what I have been able to do during this build up and I now feel better prepared to hit my marathon goals than in any previous build.
Dakotah obviously knows her stuff, but the most important thing to know about her is just what a great person she is. The term “Minnesota Nice” was invented for people like Dakotah. She is positive, reassuring and has a genuine empathy for her athletes that only another distance runner could have. She is quick to respond to my questions and requests, even providing feedback while she was in Paris for the Olympics! It has been a great, fun process, and I very much look forward to continuing with Dakotah for my training in the future!
James Chan –
Dakotah Lindwurm is an exceptional running coach whose expertise and dedication have transformed my running journey.
She has a deep understanding of training methodologies, a personalized coaching approach, and provides unwavering support. One of Dakotah’s standout qualities is her ability to learn about each athlete and tailor personal training plans accordingly. She takes the time to understand my goals, strengths, and areas for improvement, crafting a schedule that keeps me motivated and progressing. Her weekly training plans are meticulously designed to fit my individual needs, and she adeptly adjusts them based on my feedback and performance. She is always available to help answer any questions I have and provides insightful guidance.
Dakotah’s infectious enthusiasm and genuine care for her athletes make every session with her a motivating and rewarding experience. I wholeheartedly recommend Dakotah to anyone looking to take their running to the next level!
Cassandra S –
Dakotah has been amazing at helping me progress and find confidence in my running. She encouraged me to trust my pace, myself and I surprised myself!
I started working with her and within a couple months I had a one mile and a 5k race, both 40 mins apart. I won the mile for women and placed 4th for women in the 5k. She encouraged me to run both when I didn’t think I could. I hadn’t raced a mile since high school. I felt great! I also got an older self PB in the 5k after.
I’m one year post partum with my second son and 41. I never imagined I’d be able to win local races or place in the top 5, let alone almost surpass my old personal bests from my younger days. I recently won a USATF mile track meet race for women with 5:39 and my personal best in high school was 5:26. I felt so much better finishing at 41 than I did at 16 with the training she’s so thoughtfully put together for me. I got to watch my 7 year old son run the mile after me in the next heat and run by him cooling down. It was the best!
She has been so helpful with questions, suggesting exercises for ailments, and being super supportive of goals, even when they changed. I feel comfortable with her and I know working with her has helped me to run smarter, harder, and prevented me from over-doing it causing injury. Which has happened every time I trained on my own for a marathon in my 20’s.
I can’t say enough good things about Dakotah! She has always had my week ready and it’s so worth paying for her expertise and guidance. It’s also kept me accountable on days when I’d rather just cuddle with my boys and sleep in. I’m up running with my baby in a jogger stroller and seeing some amazing sun rises with him. My day is so much better as a result!
She’s an amazing athlete, coach and person, that I’m so blessed to get to work with for my Mom goals.
Cody Mikl –
I have a lifetime goal to break 3 hours in the marathon. I’ve used online programs in the past and gotten close but that was many years ago. I have recently gotten over a lengthy patellar tendon issue and really wanted to give this goal a shot. So I turned to the Grandma’s expert 🙂 Dakotah has provided my overactive brain with calm confidence that I’m on the right path. She has the credibility to override any doubts that may want to creep in. I feel really fortunate to work with Dakotah and would recommend her to anyone!
Kari K. –
I contacted Dakotah last Fall after I decided to register for Grandma’s Marathon (it will be my 6th Grandma’s and 16th 26.2) in my new AG (I turned 50 in November!). I had previously watched Dakotah WIN Grandma’s the last 2 years and had been following her racing career. I knew that I needed someone other than myself to hold me “accountable” in my training this time around as I have not trained for a 26.2 since November 2019 (NYC) and I wanted to challenge myself as well. Dakotah has been great being flexible with my workouts-making them as my weeks vary with when I can run. I have been very happy how quick I hear back from her if I text or email asking questions for giving feed back! So far I’d say this is a perfect fit for me and I can’t wait to see how the rest of my training goes with her guidance and support!
Katie F –
I have really enjoyed working with Dakotah for half marathon training. I self coached for several years, had many injuries and later became afraid of building mileage. Dakotah pushed me to harder (but smart) workouts again and slowly build mileage that I am seeing results from. I’m always excited to see what workouts she writes for the week. Looking forward to a PR on race day to working with her again for fall marathon training.
Robert G –
I self coached myself for about 2 years, but have made more progress in the 4 months I have been coached by Dakotah so far than I did during the prior two years. Coach Lindwurm is turning me into a real lean, fit slice of Irish beef, that’s for sure. My easy pace has improved by almost 40 seconds per mile, and I accidentally ran a 5k PR when I spontaneously signed up for a race while on holiday during an otherwise heavy training week so my legs weren’t fresh. Workouts are always the right amount of challenge and I feel that recovery is built into the program very well. I am looking forward to my first longer distance race (10 miler) this Spring and I am confident that I will run it faster than I ever would have thought possible for myself.
CW –
Dakotah is awesome. She is very knowledgeable, responsive, flexible, and fun to work with. I’m a busy guy with a busy travel schedule for work. She is flexible and creative in switching up my training days and focus when my schedule gets hectic. Before working with Dakotah, I’d put myself in the “knows enough to be dangerous” camp and had run a half marathon, 10-mile race, and many 10ks. She is helping me train for my first two marathons this year. Not only is her training regimen well thought out, but she has educated me on the finer points of training and fitness as I continue my running journey. I have only been working with her for three months, but have already seen dramatic improvements.
charles kariampuzha –
Coach Dakotah has made a big difference in my training. She tailors the plan to very closely meet my needs. She carefully follows my progress and adjusts the plan to keep me focussed on my goals and at the same time, she will gently keep raising the bar on my goals. I look forward to her plans every week. I am currently training for a full marathon and have already seen an improvement in my times on my shorter distances. I am very happy with Dakotah. What makes her stand out from other coaches is she truly cares and wants her athletes to keep getting better. She is easily accessible and gives great advice in person. I consider myself lucky to have her as my coach.
Sherwin Doroudi –
I’m a new runner entering the sport in my 30s and I started working with Dakotah a couple months into my running journey (having only run a 5k and having no prior background in running whatsoever before that). In the six months since I’ve started working with Dakotah, she has helped me tackle my first 10k, 10 mile, and half marathon races; in the process she’s introduced me to a variety of running workouts. I plan to continue working with her into the foreseeable future, so she can help me improve at all distances from the 5k to the half marathon and eventually train for a full marathon once I’m ready to move up in distance.
Dakotah clearly tailors her plans to what I need and what’s going on in my life, and I think I would have made a bunch of mistakes if I was writing my own plans or just following some plan that I could find online. In the six months I’ve worked with Dakotah, I’ve dealt with some nagging shin pain that would come up when running quickly in my first few months, covid, and a sudden back injury (unrelated to running). Dakotah helped me with figuring out how to scale things back and/or taking the necessary time off and then cautiously ease back into running. She’s always very generous with her time and willing to hear and address my concerns (or just talk through how a recent race went) over a phone call, and given that I live in the Twin Cities area, I’ve even had a couple of opportunities to meet her in person for a workout or some form instruction. She’s also been a great help when it comes to developing race strategies (especially when it comes to courses she’s run herself). She is clearly extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the sport and enthusiastically champions her athletes. I’m excited to see what I’ll be able to achieve under her coaching in the months to come
Ryan Pulkrabek –
I’ve been running marathons for years now, but I asked Dakotah to train me as I try to break 3 hours for the first time. Two months into training and I couldn’t be happier. Her training plan is exactly what I need and her positivity keeps me going, especially as I’m battling Arkansas summer heat (which is brutal!). She’s very responsive and always encouraging. She’s very good at identifying your potential and pushing you toward it. My workouts are all very much doable while pushing me toward my outer boundaries. I’ve never been more confident as a runner, and that’s thanks to her training program and coaching style. I highly recommend Dakotah as a running coach.
Jack Mignosa –
Beyond thrilled to be working with Dakotah! I consider myself extremely lucky to have found her. In the two plus months I’ve worked with her she has encouraged me, gotten me excited to chase my goals again, helped with an injury, assisted/supported me with fueling issues and answered all kinds of running related questions. She is well versed in all facets of running. She responds way faster than anticipated when I reach out and I feel like she closely watches my training on final surge. Most importantly her positivity is infectious. She believes in me more than I do. I hope she is able to coach me until I retire. She is my 4th coach in 5 years and I’ve honestly never been happier.
5KMN –
I am not a runner but wanted to set a few small goals and see if I could train for a 5K. Her workouts have been very doable, and she has been very supportive. I highly recommend her.
Lauren Harrigian –
In this climb back into competitive running after being out for 2 years and having surgery and just mental health stuff . Having this easier training plan has been nice and just chill . I am about a month away from doing my first race in years . Dakotah is very understanding and just a good coach . It’s been a lot of ups and downs in finding a coach since my old coach of many years . Am interested to where this path takes me OTQ here we come and sponsorship ????
Ryan Dudley –
I’ve been working with Dakotah for the last three months and have already witnessed major improvements in my running. In terms of finding workouts to push me and fit my personal goals, Dakotah has done a tremendous job!
Erica Vlasak –
Dakotah has been the perfect coaching fit for me. She took the time to understand my goals as well as the need for a flexible schedule (full time job with two girls under 5). She provided the guidance I was looking for (distance, tempo runs) and the accountability I needed. The variety in runs made the training interesting and fun. Additionally, Dakotah took things off my plate (thinking about what run should I do, what should I do if my ankle hurts, what if my schedule requires me missing runs) and not adding things to it (additional meetings that I wasn’t looking for – although I get the impression she will happily flex to whatever her clients want/need). Ultimately, she got me to the start line healthy for the NYC Marathon and qualified for Boston! Extremely responsive and motivating – I mean, look at those PRs! I highly recommend working with Dakotah!
Carson Paulson –
Dakotah is absolutely incredible. She is caring, knowledgeable, and encouraging. I have seen so much improvement in my running as well as my running confidence. I’m stoked to have her as my coach!
Michael Stayer –
Dakotah’s guidance has been extremly helpful in my half marathon training over the last few months. While the workouts have been challenging, I’m beginning to see improvements in both speed and endurance. I’m looking forward to the fall half marathon season and continued progress following Dakotah’s coaching program.
Nathan Lee –
Dakotah has been very helpful in my marathon training. A great balance of providing workouts while also being flexible to minor adjustments in schedule. I feel like I am getting closer to peak performance as training goes, and am confident working with her has helped to make me a better runner.
Eli Queen –
I’ve been working with Dakotah for about three months. Training towards my first marathon, with a long term goal of qualifying for Boston. Dakotah has done an amazing job of pushing me just enough. The workouts she’s given me have been some of the most challenging I’ve ever done, but they are always within reach. My fitness and confidence have grown with each week. Dakotah has also been very responsive to any need to change the week’s training. Whenever injuries have come up, she has rewritten my schedule with great attention to my recovery.