The GOAT of ultrarunning, Courtney Dauwalter, is celebrated for her countless achievements and trailblazing feats in the sport. Yet, even she couldn’t help but marvel at the historic accomplishment of fellow athlete Jasmin Paris, who recently shattered a longstanding barrier at the Barkley Marathons.
The Barkley Marathons, often dubbed the “Race That Eats Its Young,“ has long been considered one of the most grueling endurance challenges in the world. Nestled within the rugged terrain of Tennessee’s Frozen Head State Park, the race had never seen a female finisher until Paris’s remarkable feat at the 2024 edition.
For Dauwalter, who had tackled the daunting course herself, Paris’s triumph was nothing short of inspiring. “Jasmin Paris being the first female to ever finish the Barkley was really, really cool,” Dauwalter expressed during a Salomon running athletes’ press conference in Annecy.
“I’m so impressed by her – and thankful to her for just blowing the roof off the thing and showing us what’s possible.”
Dauwalter’s own journey in ultrarunning is marked by a series of unprecedented achievements.
In 2023, she wrote history books by clinching a historic winning trio of iconic 100-mile trail races: Western States, Hardrock, and UTMB accomplishing what many deemed impossible within a single calendar year.
Despite her illustrious track record, Dauwalter remains drawn to the challenge presented by the Barkley Marathons. “For sure I’m still intrigued about those woods and what I could do out there,” she shared, hinting at a potential return to Frozen Head State Park in the future.
However, her focus for the current year is set on new horizons.
Fresh off a victory in Gran Canaria, Dauwalter is gearing up for upcoming races in Japan. “I’ll head to Mount Fuji 100 at the end of April and then Hardrock 100 in the middle of July,” she revealed.
With her sights set on conquering mountainous terrain, Dauwalter aims to approach each race as an opportunity to push her limits and redefine what’s achievable in the world of ultrarunning.
