Rachel Entrekin Wins Cocodona 250 Overall, Setting Record, and Becoming First Woman to Finish First Overall

52 Hours Elapsed: It’s the Home Stretch for Rachel Entrekin

230 miles down, 20 miles left to go for Rachel Entrekin.

The Cocodona 250 race leader had another quick pit stop at Wildcat Hill, mile 234.9, taking just five minutes to get in and out of the aid station. Her crew helped her refuel, change, and apply sunscreen as she headed into a sunny day three of the race.

Over the next 10 miles, Entrekin will crest 9,000 feet on snowy Elden Mountain, the race’s high point, before descending to the finish in downtown Flagstaff, Arizona. If she completes the final 20 miles in the next eight hours, she’ll set a new overall course record.

Just over an hour and a half behind her, Kilian Korth seems to have rallied, moving smoothly and popping several ibuprofens at Wildcat Hill before getting back out on course quickly. He maintains well over a 30-minute gap on Cody Poskin, currently in third.

Behind the top three runners, Joe McConaughy, DJ Fox, and Heather Jackson are running within 4 miles of each other as they pass mile 220. Last year’s third place finisher Edher Ramirez sits in seventh, while the final women’s podium spot and overall top 10 has become a battle between Courtney Dauwalter and a hard charging Megan Eckert out of Fort Tuthill, mile 211.7.

48 Hours Elapsed: Rachel Entrekin Eyes the Overall Course Record

When race leader Rachel Entrekin came into the Fort Tuthill aid station at 1:15 a.m., it wasn’t just her usual crew waiting for her. Three Flagstaff locals came out with homemade signs to cheer her on as she widened her lead of the Cocodona 250, aiming to become the first woman to ever win the race.

Last year, Entrekin passed through Fort Tuthill, mile 211.7, in the mid-morning light on her way to a new women’s course record of 63:50:55. Not only is she several hours ahead of her own record-setting pace from last year, she’s also well ahead of Dan Green’s overall course record of 58:47:18, set last year on a slightly longer course.

As the race passed the 48 hour mark at 5 a.m. Wednesday morning, Entrekin had fewer than 30 miles to go. Kilian Korth maintained his runner-up position, but the gap between him and Entrekin opened up to three hours after he took an hour-long rest at Fort Tuthill. Korth has been dealing with glute and hip flexor pain that has been causing a limp for the past 20-plus miles.

Behind him in third, Cody Poskin is on the hunt. Fighting the compounding effects of sleep deprivation with caffeine pills and Red Bull, Poskin left Fort Tuthill one hour after Korth. “Let’s go get this sucker,” Poskin said as he left.

43 Hours Elapsed: Cocodona 250 Runner Dies During Race

A participant in the 2026 Cododona 250 experienced a medical emergency and died during the race, organizers announced late Tuesday night.

“Out of respect for their family and loved ones, we are not sharing additional personal details at this time, but our team is supporting those directly involved and will share more only if and when appropriate,” race founder Jamil Coury said in an announcement on the race livestream. “The race is continuing on, but now in the runner’s honor, we ask all participants and crew to carry the memory of this runner with you on the trails, the rest of this week and into the future.”

40 Hours Elapsed: Cold, Wet, Tired, and Still Moving

This must feel like deja vu for Rachel Entrekin. She is at the front of the Cocodona 250, running through rain and cold on night two—just like in 2025. But last year, she came into Munds Park, mile 190.6, hours after dark in third place overall. This time around, she came into the aid station at sunset, in the overall lead and on pace for a course record.

Entrekin spent 20 minutes in the aid station’s warming tent, tending to blistered feet, refueling, and changing into warm clothes for the night ahead. Five minutes after she ran off into the ponderosa forest, Kilian Korth hobbled in with a glute that “isn’t working,” as he told his crew. After a massage, some side step activations, and a similar 20 minutes in the warming tent, Korth headed out in the steady, cold rain towards mile 200, with the same half-hour gap to the lead he’s had since yesterday afternoon.

Five miles back, Cody Poskin has built up a healthy gap over fourth place runner Heather Jackson coming into Munds Park. The 24-year-old from St Louis, Missouri, finished seventh last year, while former pro triathlete Jackson is making her debut over 200+ miles. The race for fifth came to a standstill at Schnebly Hill, with four runners—Courtney Dauwalter, Zach Hauer, DJ Fox, and Joe McConaughy—in the aid station at once. McConaughy was the first one out and is feeling rejuvenated, according to his crew.

If this pace keeps up, we could have multiple runners under Dan Green’s course record of 58:47:18. Entrekin would need to keep an average pace of around 3 miles per hour, or 20 minute miles, for the rest of the race to take the record. So far, she’s averaged closer to 5 miles per hour, or 12 minute miles.

35 Hours Elapsed: Nap Time in Sedona

After 156 miles and a full day and a half on their feet, the lead runners of the Cocodona 250 are tired.

There are a few ways to handle this: Push through the pain and keep moving, as race leader Rachel Entrekin did in Sedona (her total time at the aid station was five minutes). Spend some extra time on foot care, fueling, and sitting, as second place runner Kilian Korth and fourth place runner Heather Jackson did. Or in the case of third place runner Cody Poskin, fifth place runner Zach Hauer, and sixth place runner Courtney Dauwalter, take a nap.

Poskin, Hauer, and Dauwalter all enjoyed between 20 and 30 minutes of horizontal time at the Sedona Posse Grounds aid station, mile 159.6. Despite the lack of sleep, Entrekin and Korth hold a commanding lead over the rest of the field, as they continue to run roughly two miles apart. About an hour and a half separated third place Poskin and sixth place Dauwalter out of the aid station.

Rain clouds are on the horizon as the race’s second sunset approaches. Get ready for a cold, and potentially wet, night ahead.

29 Hours Elapsed: The Fight for the Podium Is On

With 100 miles left to go in the Cocodona 250, Rachel Entrekin holds a lead of nearly two miles over Kilian Korth as the two approach Sedona. A few miles behind them, however, the third podium spot is up for grabs.

Cody Poskin made a big move overnight to pass several runners and take third place. Coming out of Dead Horse aid station, mile 133.3, Poskin was an hour behind Korth and 15 minutes ahead of fourth place runner (and third man) Joe McConaughy. In the 20 minutes following McConaughy’s departure, three more runners came and went: Heather Jackson (fifth place, second woman), Zach Hauer (sixth place, fourth man), and Courtney Dauwalter (seventh place, third woman).

That’s less than 40 minutes separating third through seventh, with a lot of race left to run. The top runners are taking advantage of near-perfect conditions: continued cloud cover and temperatures in the 50s.

24 Hours Elapsed: Entrekin Holds the Lead with Blistering Pace on the Start of Day 2

As a new day dawns over Arizona, Rachel Entrekin is showing no signs of slowing down.

Twenty four hours into the race, the reigning women’s champion crossed the halfway point at mile 125 after completing the descent down from Mingus Mountain into the lower-elevation Verde Valley. The course stays under 5,000 feet for the next 30 or so miles before climbing up out of Sedona towards the ponderosa pine forests of Flagstaff.

Behind Entrekin, it’s still a relatively tight race for the podium spots: Kilian Korth holds onto second while Heather Jackson, Joe McConaughy, and Cody Poskin battle for third. Courtney Dauwalter is holding steady just behind them as she approaches the halfway mark.

16 Hours Elapsed: Extra Miles for Jackson and Dauwalter

“I went maybe a mile, Courtney went almost all the way so she probably did an extra five miles.”

As Heather Jackson debriefed with her crew at Whiskey Row aid station, mile 75.8, she revealed that she and Courtney Dauwalter, running in fourth and fifth overall, took a wrong turn that resulted in added miles while heading down into Prescott. Still, the two runners departed Prescott just three minutes apart, 50 minutes behind race leader Rachel Entrekin.

Running in second and third are Kilian Korth and Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy, two experienced ultrarunners who have been running close together for the majority of this race.

12 Hours Elapsed: Rachel Entrekin Takes the Overall Lead

If the past two years are any indication, Rachel Entrekin knows how to run the Cocodona 250.

In 2024, her first time running this race, she placed 11th overall and first woman. Last year, she moved up to fourth overall, defending her title as women’s champion and shattering the course record. This year, it looks like she’s aiming to continue her upward trajectory. When she passed through the Kamp Kipa aid station, mile 61, Entrekin had taken the lead and expanded it to upwards of seven minutes over Joe McConaughy and Kilian Korth, who were running together in second and third.

If you’re feeling some deja vu, you’re not mistaken: at this point in last year’s race, Courtney Dauwalter made a move to take the overall lead. Unfortunately, Dauwalter DNFed later on night one at mile 108, but this year, she’s holding strong in fifth place next to Heather Jackson.

Runners are headed down a steady downhill into Prescott, mile 75.8, where they’ll refuel and reset to head into night one.

8 Hours Elapsed: Three Men, Three Women Comprise the Top Six

Perched at 5,800 feet above sea level, Crown King feels like a different world than the Cocodona 250’s cactus-covered start. The aid station at mile 36.6 is a mountain oasis, surrounded by pine trees, rocky peaks, and cool air.

Former professional triathlete Kevin Taddonio was the first to pass through town, followed soon after by a pack of three consisting of Joe McConaughy, Kilian Korth, and Rachel Entrekin. After quick pit stops, the three took off within two minutes of each other just shy of seven hours into this race.

A few minutes later, Courtney Dauwalter came into Crown King as the second woman and fifth overall, greeting her husband and crew chief Kevin before she changed shoes and fueled up. As she was changing, Heather Jackson passed by for her own pit stop, rounding out the women’s top three. Dauwalter and Jackson departed within four minutes of each other, though Jackson forgot her phone and had to circle back to retrieve it. What’s a couple lost minutes in a 250-mile race, right?

4 Hours Elapsed: Courtney Dauwalter Among a Tight Lead Pack

These are pretty perfect conditions, folks.

Under overcast skies with temperatures in the 50s, the lead pack of runners has crested 5,000 feet elevation as they make their way to the next water station at mile 24.6. That station marks the end of a 14-mile stretch with no aid, where runners were required to carry four liters of water. Heavy packs don’t seem to be slowing them down, though, as the first 10 runners are within a mile of each other at this early stage.

Newcomer Kevin Taddonio took the race out hot and still holds the lead, followed closely by 2025 200 Triple Crown champion Kilian Korth and Courtney Dauwalter. Also in the mix in the lead pack are 2022 Cocodona Champion Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy, 18 year old Elliot Chisholm, and reigning women’s champion Rachel Entrekin.

May 4 at 5:00 A.M.: The 2026 Cocodona 250 Has Begun

Let the games begin.

A parade of headlamps bobbed through a tunnel of cheers as this year’s 400 runners began their 253-mile journey to Flagstaff. Cloud cover and temperatures in the 50s and 60s for the first two days of the race could set the stage for fast times, but as we saw amidst last year’s rain and mud, anything goes out here.

The first 30 miles are largely uphill as runners tackle over 9,000 of the race’s 38,791 feet of elevation gain. Remember, this is a very long race, so don’t be surprised to see a lot of lead changes and big moves early on. We’ve seen time and time again that this race isn’t won in the first 30, 100, or even 200 miles. That being said, this year’s field is highly experienced, with four past champions and ultrarunning greats like Courtney Dauwalter, so there will be plenty of smart strategy and pacing.

Dauwalter’s mentality coming in? “It all is just a fun experiment on myself, a fun game and puzzle to play with.”

We’ll see who can put the pieces together over the next couple of days.