Courtney Dauwalter has long ruled the world of ultrarunning. With record-setting wins at Western States, Hardrock, and UTMB, she’s become synonymous with grit, endurance, and an indomitable smile that doesnโt seem to fade even after 100 miles.
But this week, she’s stepping even further into the wild unknown: the 2025 Cocodona 250.
At 256.5 miles, this Arizona beast is less a race and more a backcountry odysseyโone where hallucinations, hypothermia, and the unrelenting terrain are as formidable as any podium rival.
And yet, for the first time, the sport’s most beloved GOAT is toeing the line.
Why Cocodona 250 Matters
Five years ago, the Cocodona 250 was an ambitious experiment from race director Jamil Coury and Aravaipa Running. Could an ultra-ultramarathonโa race stretching across deserts, mountains, red rock canyons, and pine forest plateausโgain traction in a sport already pushing the limits of human endurance?
The answer was a resounding yes.
Cocodona has since become one of the premier multi-day trail races in North America. Itโs not just a test of strengthโitโs a logistical nightmare turned badge of honor. Sleep strategy, blister triage, hypothermic night climbs and desert heat are all part of the race plan.
This year, a sold-out field of 307 runners lined up in Black Canyon City at 5:00 a.m. PT on May 5th, bracing for 256.5 miles of trail, 40,667 feet of elevation gain, and the full spectrum of Arizona weather.
For many, the challenge alone is enough.
But for Courtney Dauwalter, itโs the next frontier.
Courtney vs. The Field: A Deep Dive into the Ultra GOATโs Challenge
Dauwalter is no stranger to the 200+ mile distance.
She broke out in 2017 with a dominant win at the Moab 240 (then 238 miles), finishing first overall by more than 10 hours. Her resume since reads like an ultrarunning fantasy draftโtwo Western States wins, three UTMB victories, three Hardrock 100s, all with course records.
Yet Cocodona offers a different flavor of pain.
โThereโs just so much unknown in these races,โ Dauwalter said in an earlier interview with iRunFar. โAnd I love thatโfiguring it out, even when itโs not going well.โ
And sheโll need all of that adaptability. As of Monday morning, Dauwalter was leading the womenโs race and sitting in fifth overall, having traded places early with 2024 womenโs champ Rachel Entrekin. Her early pace and positioning put her well ahead of most of the menโs field, alongside frontrunner and reigning champ Harry Subertas.
What makes this even more compelling is the sheer quality of the competition around her. The womenโs field includes:
- Sarah Ostaszewski, the 2023 champ and a four-time Cocodona finisher.
- Georgia Porter, who set the FKT on the Arizona Trail in 2024.
- Mika Thewes, winner of the 2023 Tahoe 200.
- Lindsey Dwyer, a dark horse whose recent training has caught attention.
On the menโs side, Subertas is out hotโclocking a 7:30 pace 23 miles inโalongside 2021 winner Michael Versteeg, FKT specialist Jeff Garmire, and U.K. import Jack Scott, fresh off a win at the notoriously brutal Spine Race.
The Cocodona Course: Arizonaโs Landscape on Ultra Mode
Calling Cocodona โbrutalโ feels like an understatement. The course begins in the Sonoran Desert, amid saguaros and searing heat, and slowly climbs into cooler pine forests before cutting through historical towns, granite dells, and red rock cathedrals. By mile 170, runners enter Coconino National Forest, the largest contiguous Ponderosa Pine forest in the world.
The final boss? A climb over 9,301-foot Mount Elden, just shy of Flagstaff, where snow is expected this week.
The course by numbers:
- 256.5 miles
- 40,667 feet of climbing
- Surface breakdown: 45% singletrack, 46% doubletrack, 9% pavement
- Time limit: 125 hours
Every aid station is a havenโand a decision point. Sleep or push? Soup or gels? Solitude or pacer? This yearโs cooler temps (highs in the 40s-50s) could speed things upโbut they also hide the ever-present risk of hypothermia, especially at altitude.
Media, Culture, and the Rise of Ultra-Ultras
What sets Cocodona apart isnโt just the mileageโitโs the ecosystem surrounding it. Aravaipa has built a media machine to match the mileage, offering:
- A 125-hour livestream via Mountain Outpost on YouTube
- Real-time GPS tracking
- Social media storytelling from elite and mid-pack runners alike
They even dropped a Cocodona 250 shoe, custom-designed for the terrain.
And make no mistake: this isnโt just about elites. Cocodona is a proving ground for trail influencers, dream chasers, and everyday runners pushing past what they thought was possible. As of now, the mid-pack is deep into Prescott and approaching the technical ridges near Sedona.
How to Follow the 2025 Cocodona 250
๐บ Livestream: Mountain Outpost YouTube Channel
๐ Live Tracker: Aravaipa Running โ Cocodona 250
๐๏ธ Race Window: May 5โ10 (125-hour cutoff)
