While most 17-year-old boys are pent up in their rooms playing video games, Brody Chisholm and his family took on Cocodona 250, a 250-mile trail race from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff, Arizona.
At just 17, Chisholm finished 12th in the Cocodona 250-Mile Race, a pretty remarkable achievement for someone who had never run an ultramarathon before. Brody’s journey to his first ultra began when his family, seasoned thru-hikers, visited the Cocodona event in 2023. Inspired by the runners he met there, Brody decided to participate officially this year.
His Pathway To Cocodonna
Last year, Brody and his three brothers, along with their mother Jennie, had just finished a hike across the 800-mile Arizona Trail and were about to start the 3,000-mile Continental Divide Trail.
Spectating (and accidentally crewing) the Cocodona 250 was the spark that lit the fire for Chisholm and his family.
“We weren’t crew, but we were getting all caught up in it like we were,” Jennie said to RUN. “We got pretty excited about the race.”
The family’s extensive hiking experience and their background in cross-country and track made the transition to trail racing natural. The Chisholms were also clearly no strangers to mega multi-day efforts before Cocodona 250.
“It was sort of a natural transition from thru-hiking to training for an ultra,” Jennie said to RUN. “Because we had done so many long hikes, the 250 didn’t seem daunting.”
Their adventures in thru-hiking began with a spontaneous decision to tackle New Hampshire’s 48 4,000-foot peaks in 2021. Encouraged by Appalachian Trail hikers, Jennie and her sons then set out on the Appalachian Trail. Their successful hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail followed, achieving the Triple Crown of long-distance hiking by 2023.
Finishing His First Ultra At Cocodona
Brody’s Cocodona 250 journey started on May 6, with his mother Jennie and brother Ben.
“I was just more excited, I really didn’t have any pressure on me,” Brody said to RUN. “I’m a 17-year-old kid, the youngest kid to do it, I doubt anyone really expected much from me. So I just kinda used that to my advantage and went out there to have fun and show what I knew I could do.”
After 75 hours and 42 minutes, Brody crossed the finish line in 12th place.
“I was a little bit relieved to be done, because it was a pretty big task we were trying to accomplish,” Brody says. “I always did have that thought in the back of my mind, I was like, ‘I just gotta finish, I gotta get to the finish line, I gotta complete this.’”
The race was not without challenges: Brody faced stomach issues, Ben experienced hallucinations, and Jennie suffered stress fractures. Despite these hurdles, all three finished the race.
Brody’s accomplishment is just the beginning. The family plans to continue their ultrarunning pursuits, even as Ben heads off to college, signaling the end of their long adventures together. Jennie believes these experiences have forged a lasting bond among her sons, one that will be cherished for years to come.
“They learned so many lessons on these trails about how to manage themselves and their own needs and wants and desires as well as working together as a team,” Jennie said to RUN.
“I wanted to give them experiences that the average kid wasn’t having, and I also wanted them to have the relationship and the tight-knit bond that goes beyond me and their dad,” Jennie said to RUN. “I feel like that’s a gift to them that will maybe be more meaningful in the future.”
