Rachel Entrekin had twice crossed the finish line as the top woman finisher at the Cocodona 250.
On Wednesday, she beat the entire field — consisting of men and women — to win the grueling ultramarathon in record time. In doing so, she made history as the first woman to win the race outright.
Entrikin and the rest of the field started the race on Monday in Black Canyon City, Arizona, roughly 60 miles north of Phoenix. On Wednesday afternoon, Entrekin ran the race’s final stretch down a Flagstaff street, cheered on by a raucous crowd of well-wishers on both sides as she broke through the finish-line tape.
Rachel Entrikin wins the Cocodona 250 mile race from Black Canyon to Flagstaff in 56 hours 12 minutes. pic.twitter.com/23Jv841BfJ
— Peter Corbett (@PeterCorbett1) May 6, 2026
When she was done, Entrekin finished the race with an official time of 56:09:48 (yes that’s 56-plus hours). She was overcome with emotion down the final stretch.
“I think I basically wept from the second I got off the single track until I crossed the finish line,” she said in a post-race interview, per Run.
Entrekin’s historic run at Cocodona
Entrekin is a powerhouse in running and at Cocodona in particular. In 2025, she set the women’s record at the race, securing her second straight women’s title at 63:50:55, which was good for fourth overall. Her time on Monday for her third straight women’s title and her first overall win shattered the previous race record of 58:47:18 by more than two hours.
Per Canadian Trail Running, Entrekin took breaks down the stretch to pet dogs. After the race, she called it the “best day ever.”
And in case you’re wondering: yes, she did sleep during the run. Ever so briefly.
“I slept five minutes, then seven minutes, then seven minutes,” Entrekin said, per Run. “My goal was to only have dirt naps.”
Per Run, Entrekin had a support group of six strong during the race, including her parents, Carol and Robin, Entrekin. She was met with supportive chants — and snacks — throughout the event.
Entrekin held off men’s winner and fellow ultramarathon star Killian Forth down the stretch. Forth finished in second place overall.
The rest of the race field remained on the course at the time of this post. The race has a 125-hour time limit. Runners have until Saturday morning to finish with a qualifying time.
What is the Cocodona 250?
For those not familiar, the Cocodona 250 is an annual ultramarathon that takes place in central Arizona. It runs south to north into the mountains of Northern Arizona. The name of the race undersells it. The course is actually 253.3 miles. And it’s not flat.
The elevation of the course ranges from 1,996 feet to 9,241 feet. It entails a total of 38,791 feet of elevation gain, 33,884 feet of loss. Entrants pay a fee ranging from $1,695 to $1,845 for the right to run the race.
Entrekin beat out a field of some of the world’s best ultramarathoners to win. She took the lead at 60 miles and never relinquished it. And she’s taken her place in running — and sports history with her victory.
