Fresh off the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, where she crossed the line as the second American woman, elite distance runner Dakotah Popehn sat down to discuss race day realities, the role of pacers, and her upcoming memoir, You Think This Hurts, slated for release on June 22.
Navigating the Heat in Chicago
Coming off a string of crisp autumn mornings in Minnesota, race week in Chicago brought warmer conditions than anticipated. With temperatures reaching the 60s, Popehn and her team adjusted their initial targets.
“We decided, instead of going out for a 2:23, I’d go out on 2:23 pace,” Popehn shared.
Assisting her on that pace was fellow Puma athlete Rory Linkletter. Unlike standard race pacers who must rigidly stick to predetermined metrics, having a dedicated teammate made a tangible difference. When a hamstring nerve impingement began flaring up around mile 4 and grew increasingly painful by mile 21, Linkletter was able to adjust dynamically.
“When things started to get hard, I was able to tell Rory, ‘I’m not feeling very good, can we just back off a few seconds?’ And he was there for me,” she noted. Despite the physical hurdles, Popehn mentioned that the spectator energy in Chicago was the best she had ever experienced, providing a much-needed lift during the difficult later miles.
The Mental Architecture of the Marathon
Balancing high-level endurance training requires navigating both physical pain and internal dialogue. While Popehn utilizes tools like Shokz bone-conduction headphones for easy recovery miles on busy trails, allowing her to stay aware of cyclists and her surroundings, she leaves them behind for her hardest efforts.
When the mental space grows dark in the final stretch of a marathon, she relies on grounding techniques rather than abstract pacing math.
“I remember just trying to dig myself out of that,” Popehn said when describing a rough patch on the course. “A lot of times I like to bring myself to the present… Look at Rory’s yellow top. Say things to yourself that are real and that are happening that bring me out of the pain.”
Choosing Your Own Pain: You Think This Hurts
That underlying grit and resilience will take center stage next summer with the release of her memoir, You Think This Hurts, on June 22.
Rather than a conventional running manual, the book serves as a deeply personal memoir exploring early-life adversity, family divorce, and the lessons learned along the way. Running acts as a unifying thread rather than the sole focus of every chapter.
“There’s pain in this life that we are given and that we can’t decide, but there’s also the pain that we get to choose every single day,” Popehn explained. “For me, that’s going out and hitting the pavement. It’s about how we get to choose our own pain to deal with the pain that life has given us.”
Looking Ahead to Los Angeles 2028
With a massive year of racing and book promotion on the horizon, Popehn’s athletic ambitions remain firmly anchored at the top of her priority list. As the qualification window for the Olympic trials opens, she has her sights set on running fast, securing her spot, and ultimately representing the United States on home soil at the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.
After completing three marathons this year, Popehn is taking a well-deserved off-season to rest and recover before building toward her next chapter on the roads.
