The FWRC Annual Celebration Presented By Puma

The 2025 Fort Wayne Running Club Celebration Presented By Puma and Fitness Expo and will take place Sunday February 2, 2025 at the Parkview Mirro Center. (No parking charge!) Everyone is welcome. Our Keynote Speaker is Dakotah Marie (Lindwurm) Popehn , she was 12th overall at the 2024 Olympic Marathon in Paris.  

Online registration is open.  Join the festivities. 

The 2025 Annual Celebration Presented By Puma begins at 3 pm and features a fitness expo, social time, autographs with Dakotah, dinner, and will honor members, volunteers, and outstanding area high school distance athletes. 

Thank you sponsors for making the banquet possible:  Fleet Feet, Three Rivers Running Company, and Puma

Banquet Schedule:

3:00- 4:00 pm- Welcome/Check In, Fitness Expo, 2024 Points Series Picture Show, Raffle Drawing Sign Up, Runners Social, Dakotah Meet/Greet.

4:00-4:45 pm:  Celebration Welcome, Invocation, Dinner, and  FWRC Update

4:45-5:30 pm:  Annual Awards

2024 Annual FWRC Awards:  Points Series Age Group Awards, Ironrunner Awards, Ironstrider Awards, Don Lindley’s Volunteer of the Year Award, Barbie Scrogham Spirit of Running Award, Golden Shoe Award, Extra Mile Award, Joe Ziegler’s Breaking Barriers Award, Presidents Award and Chris Brown Outstanding High School Distance Runners

5:15 pm: Dakotah's Presentation, Questions/Answers, and Closing Remarks

A  5 km public run/walk with Dakotah will take place Saturday February 1st at 10 am at Fleet Feet southwest with check in beginning at 9:00 am. No charge.  Join us. Following the run/walk Dakota will offer a store appearance with autographs.

Dakotah is a highly decorated distance runner who represented the Unites States in Paris for the 2024  Women's Olympic Marathon.  She finished 12th!!  She gained notoriety after winning back-to-back victories at Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota in 2021 and 2022. Her victory in 2022 made her the 12th fastest U.S. women's marathoner of all time. She is known for her characteristic smile while racing. 

Before she began running, Lindwurm was a goalie for St Francis North Branch girl’s hockey team. She then started running at St. Francis High School in St. Francis, Minnesota, where she completed in cross country and track and field.  After graduating high school in 2013, Lindwurm started her collegiate running career at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. While competing for the Northern State Wolves, She was a five-time NCAA DII National Qualifier, and a two time All-American. After graduating college in 2017, she joined the Minnesota Distance Elite team .

Dakotah’s presentation will address her life as a runner and achievements.  It will include stories of meaningful experiences and inspiration.

Come meet and listen to Dakotah's inspiring story, running experiences, and messages of perseverance. 

To protect yourself and others from spreading or ​contracting an ​illness use appropriate health ​precautions like using hand sanitizer, cover coughs/sneezes, and ​maintain other hygiene ​measures.

Registration Fee Information
Banquet fee is $39 for non FWRC members

$32 until November 1st for FWRC members (Discount applied at checkout)

$35 November 1st - January 1st for FWRC members (Discount applied at checkout)

$39 after January 1st for FWRC members and others

Table fee for a group of 8 people is $32 per person (Total = $256.00)

For questions contact Judy Tillapaugh at tillapau@pfw.edu