The key to breaking a course record for a 250-mile ultramarathon?
Mashed potato, and 19 minutes’ worth of sleep on the ground.
That is what fuelled Rachel Entrekin in her historic run at the Cocodona 250 in Arizona as the American won the overall race – men included – in a record-breaking time of 56 hours, nine minutes and 48 seconds.
“Somewhere around mile 200, I slept for five minutes at an aid station,” said the 34-year-old, speaking to BBC Sport the morning after her success.
“Then around 230 miles, I took two seven-minute naps on the floor. And food, it’s impossible to say how much I ate but as far as real food goes, I had a lot of mashed potatoes.
“Mashed potatoes are the best. You get tired of chewing and you don’t want to expend any extra energy doing that.”
Entrekin also fuelled with lots of energy gels, sweets, rice and broth along the way, and even had the capacity to put in a sprint finish at the end.
The morning after the race, after sleeping from 11pm until 6.30am, was spent refuelling and cheering other runners over the finish line.
She was supported along the course by a six-person team which included her parents, and this was her third consecutive win, having triumphed in the women’s races in 2024 and 2025.
“Men and women obviously have very different skillsets but in an event like this, it comes down to so much more than just fitness,” said Entrekin.
“Your attitude and your ability to combat stress is so important, they are at least as important as how physically fit you are, so I think the field is just so much more levelled at something like this.”
The Cocodona 250 is considered to be one of the most demanding ultramarathons in the world, running from the Sonoran Desert through Sedona and up the hills of Flagstaff, with a total climb of around 38,800 feet.
Entrekin is now a professional trail runner but previously worked as a physiotherapist, which meant that she went back to work the next day after her previous Cocodona races.
Her time last year was 63 hours, 50 minutes and 55 seconds which came as a result of feeling unsatisfied after the 2024 event.
“I actually did not like the person that emerged from that challenge,” Entrekin explained.
“I finished, I won the race, but I was really in a negative headspace, and I wasn’t excited. I didn’t see what I had just done.
“So coming back in 2025, one of my huge goals was to be a person that I could stand behind when I got to the finish line, no matter what place that was in.
“This race is an excellent opportunity to find out what type of person you are over the course of, you know, breathtaking scenery and lots of rocks and eating a ton of snacks!”
She describes her training as “non-traditional”, saying she does not measure her mileage weekly or follow a coaching plan.
An average week consists of roughly 70 to 80 miles around the Arkansas Valley in Colorado, where Entrekin now lives, although she is originally from Birmingham, Alabama.
Although she will be taking a break after the Cocodona, Entrekin already has her eyes on the next race – the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France – which, at 108 miles, will probably feel like a stroll in comparison.