Northfield's Nichole Porath Wins Women's Marathon in Fargo

Northfield's Nichole Porath took the women's title in the Fargo Marathon on Saturday in 2:50:49.

The last six sun-soaked miles of the race were particularly challenging for the Olympic hopeful, and Porath staggered after she crossed the finish line and was treated briefly for exhaustion.

She told the Fargo Forum she was dizzy for the final 10k of the race.

"I am no match for heat," she wrote on her blog, "no matter how much I prepare, how much I've willed myself to accept the pain, physical toll.... I am just more susceptible to the heat."

More than 2,000 runners participated in the race. It was Porath's third victory since she quit her job at Red Wing Shoe Co.

“I’m not going to lie, the crowd is amazing,” she told the Fargo Forum. “It’s fabulous, one of the best I ever had. The course was flat and fast, although you had to be careful of some of the corners.”

Porath, 29, is hoping to shave seven minutes off her Fargo time in order to qualify for Olympic trials in 2016.

“Just living the dream,” she told the paper. “I didn’t ever want to say ‘what if?’ I didn’t want to miss a chance at the Trials.”