The Cocodona 250 has never been a race for the faint of heart, but this yearโs edition might go down as one of the most grueling yet. With snow, hail, freezing rain, and ankle-sucking mud turning Arizonaโs high desert into a treacherous obstacle course, it took something special to survive all 256 miles.
It took even more to win.
Dan Greenย andย Rachel Entrekinย didnโt just win; they rewrote the record books.
The Course Was Already Brutal. Then Came the Storm.
The Cocodona course stretches from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff, climbing more than 40,000 feet through deserts, canyons, pine forests, and red rock trails. Itโs a patchwork of harsh terrain that includes exposed climbs, rocky descents, and long, remote stretches where runners are completely on their own.
This year, runners were hit with a surprise spring storm almost from the start. Rain turned dirt roads into thick mud, temperatures dropped below freezing, and hail pelted runners who hadnโt even made it to the 40-mile mark.
Many didnโt have jackets yet since they werenโt required until the Crown King aid station at mile 36. Some improvised with emergency blankets or plastic bags.
By the time the storm finally moved on, more than 36 hours had passed, and many runners were already soaked, exhausted, or out of the race entirely.
Dan Green Runs the Race of His Life
West Virginiaโs Dan Green didnโt show up as the favorite. He had a solid resume, including top five finishes at the Javelina 100 in recent years, but hadnโt yet broken through on the biggest stages.
That changed in Arizona.
Green ran patiently early on while others, including defending champ Harry Subertas and even ultrarunning star Courtney Dauwalter, set a hot pace through the mountains.
As the storm intensified and the miles piled up, Green started to make his move. He passed Subertas around mile 70, then stayed neck and neck with South Africaโs Ryan Sandes for the next 60-plus miles.
Eventually, Green pulled away during the second night as the course climbed back into high country. By the time he reached the final major climb up Mount Elden, he had built a comfortable lead.
His brother Fred paced him into Flagstaff, where Green crossed the finish line in 58 hours, 47 minutes, and 18 seconds, more than an hour faster than the previous course record.
โDan just kept moving while the race crumbled around him,โ said one race volunteer near mile 200. โHe stayed steady and smart.โ
Menโs Top Finishers
- Dan Green (USA) โ 58:47:18
- Ryan Sandes (South Africa) โ 61:21:04
- Edher Ramirez (Mexico) โ 63:10:13
Rachel Entrekin Doubles Down
On the womenโs side, Rachel Entrekin proved that last yearโs win was just the beginning. She returned to Cocodona not only to defend her title but to take things to another level. And she did.
All eyes early on were on Courtney Dauwalter, who was racing her first 200-plus miler since winning the Tahoe 200 back in 2018. As expected, she came out flying, leading not just the womenโs race but the entire field through the first 100 miles. Then things went sideways.
By mile 108, Dauwalter was out.
Her crew later said she experienced a โfull body shutdown.โ Just like that, the door was open, and Entrekin stepped right through it.
Whatโs wild is that she didnโt even know she was leading the womenโs race until mile 134. Her crew didnโt want to distract her from the rhythm she had found.
Once she found out, she just kept doing what she was already doing: staying consistent, moving well through aid stations, and handling the course like someone who had done this before.
She reached Sedona looking strong and held it together through the final night. When she finally crossed the finish line in Flagstaff, her time of 63:50:55 smashed the previous womenโs record by more than seven hours.
It also put her fourth overall, just behind Edher Ramirez and ahead of dozens of elite men.
Womenโs Top Finishers
- Rachel Entrekin (USA) โ 63:50:55
- Lindsey Dwyer (USA) โ 79:35:28
- Sarah Ostaszewski (USA) โ 80:25:31
A Race That Chewed Up the Best
Cocodona has always had a reputation for grinding runners into the ground, but 2025 took that to another level. Only 91 percent of the course is on trail, which means long stretches of remote terrain where footing is sketchy and navigation is tricky. Add in hailstorms, sticky red clay, and waist-deep fatigue, and even the most experienced runners can unravel.
Dauwalterโs exit was a reminder of that. Even someone whoโs won Western States, Hardrock, and UTMB can get knocked out by Cocodona. Thatโs what makes this race so compelling. Nothing is guaranteed.
Still, the sport will be watching to see if she returns. โSo proud of you for taking a big swing at a new challenge,โ her sponsor, Salomon, posted after her DNF. โThatโs where greatness is found.โ
