Rachel Entrekin has made history by winning the Cocodona 250 ultramarathon overall, becoming the first woman to top the entire field. The 34-year-old American finished the 253-mile race in Arizona in a record time of 56 hours, 9 minutes and 48 seconds, beating both male and female competitors.
Entrekin, who had previously won the women's race twice, improved on her own best time by over seven hours. The previous overall record of 58:47:18 was set in 2023. She told Run magazine: 'I think I basically wept from the second I got off the single track until I crossed the finish line.'
During the race, Entrekin took short breaks, including stopping to pet dogs, as reported by Canadian Trail Running. She also took brief naps, saying: 'I slept five minutes, then seven minutes, then seven minutes. My goal was to only have dirt naps.' She was supported by a crew of six, including her parents.
Entrekin did not play team sports in high school, believing she was not good enough, but began running seriously in 2012 while studying exercise science. She earned her doctorate in 2016. Reflecting on her motivation, she told the Madison Record: 'Because it's fun and you get to explore so much stuff while you’re in these races... the biggest hook for me is I see lots of the world in a short time frame.'
The Cocodona 250, despite its name, covers 253 miles with 38,791ft of elevation gain, reaching a high point of 9,241ft in desert conditions. This year's race was marked by tragedy when a runner died after a medical emergency on Tuesday; the race continued in his honour.
