This article originally appeared on iRunFar.
Cementing her dominance in the Arizona desert, Rachel Entrekin won the 2026 Cocodona 250 Mile in an overall course record time of 56:09:48. She became the first woman to win the race outright in its 5-year existence and claimed her third win in a row.
Kilian Korth was second overall and the first man to finish, crossing the line in 57:28:36, the second-fastest time ever and a new men’s course record.
Starting at 5 a.m. local time on Monday, May 4, nearly 400 runners set out to run the 253-mile point-to-point course from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff. The cutoff time is 125 hours, or 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, May 9. The course features nearly 39,000 feet of elevation gain and almost 34,000 feet of descent. It travels through several trail systems and towns, including Prescott, Cottonwood, and Sedona.
Before the final climb up Mount Elden and descent to Flagstaff at the finish, runners encountered many types of terrain and elevations. They crossed the Sonoran Desert to the punishing Mingus Mountain to Sedona’s famous red rocks. In addition to its competition, the race has become known for its mix of natural landscapes and run-through-the-main-street camaraderie.
After last year’s unseasonably cold, wet, and muddy event, this year’s race started in ideal conditions. There was ample cloud cover and temperatures hovering in the 50s Fahrenheit, setting the stage for fast times. On the second night, though, the skies opened, and runners were treated to a cold rain in the dark.
It was familiar territory for Entrekin. Last year, she lowered her own course record by over 7 hours before her even more epic performance this year. This year, she broke Dan Green’s overall course record by more than 2 hours. It was one of the most dominant displays of ultrarunning the sport has yet seen in 200-plus-mile racing.
Sadly, the event was also marred by a tragedy, as a runner died from a medical emergency during the race.
Read on for the full race details.
2026 Cocodona 250 Mile Women’s Race
Entering the race, it was hard to bet against Rachel Entrekin, even as she faced stout competition.
Entrekin, who placed third at the Chianti Ultra Trail 120k less than 2 months ago, was the two-time defending Cocodona 250 Mile champion. She set course records in both of her wins. But on the start line with her was none other than Courtney Dauwalter, one of the greatest ultrarunners in history and one of the women who beat her at Chianti in March.
Dauwalter led last year’s race for miles before a full-body shutdown forced her to drop at mile 108. And then there was Heather Jackson, a former professional triathlete making her 200-plus-mile debut. Jackson’s impressive range includes a win at the 2023 Javelina 100 Mile and 2023 Canyons 50k, as well as a top-10 finish at the 2024 Western States 100. It was also not wise to overlook Megan Eckert, the current women’s 6-day world record holder. It was, in short, a stacked field.
Entrekin, though, ran as if it were her race to win. After a small pack including Dauwalter, Jackson, and Entrekin were relatively close for the opening miles through the saguaro-filled Sonoran Desert, Entrekin already opened a 22-minute lead on the women’s field by the Crown King aid station at mile 37. Remarkably, she held her lead for the next 200-plus miles.
In fact, by the time the first day was winding down, Entrekin was battling for the overall lead. By the time she reached the Whiskey Row aid station in Prescott at mile 76, one of the liveliest parts of the race in terms of crowds and outside energy, Entrekin was 22 minutes up on Kilian Korth, who was leading the men’s race. Jackson and Dauwalter both took wrong turns heading into Prescott. Jackson logged about an extra mile, and Dauwalter was off-course for about 50 minutes.
During the first night, runners climbed and descended the infamous Mingus Mountain, located at mile 107 and at an altitude of nearly 8,000 feet. And Entrekin didn’t relent. Her lead was nearly 90 minutes over at the top of Mingus. Jackson and Dauwalter ran within about 15 minutes of each other in second and third.
As the sun rose on day two, Entrekin reached the Dead Horse aid station in Cottonwood at mile 134. She held a commanding 2-plus-hour lead over Jackson and Dauwalter, who were still close to each other in second and third.
Entrekin continued to push, spending minimal time at aid stations as she pursued the win and the course record.
As a cold rain greeted her on the second night, Entrekin was running away with it. By Munds Park at mile 194 with about 40 hours on the clock, she was more than 5 hours ahead of Jackson, who had opened up her own small lead over Dauwalter. Entrekin still held the overall lead, too. She came through Munds Park more than an hour ahead of the men’s leader, Korth. And though the course this year was about 3 miles shorter than last year’s, her splits put her firmly on overall course record watch.
For the last 50-plus miles, she raced only the clock. On a sunny third day, she summited Mount Elden, the highest point in the race at 9,000 feet. As she descended into Flagstaff, a boisterous crowd greeted her before she officially claimed her victory and course record. Rachel Entrekin crossed the finish line in 56:09:48. It was her third Cocodona 250 Mile win in a row to cap a historic performance.
Behind her, the race for the podium was on. Jackson and Dauwalter were neck and neck for the majority of the race. However, by Fort Tuthill at mile 212, Jackson had built more than a 2-hour lead.
Behind them, Eckert, who was battling 2025 runner-up Lindsey Dwyer, made a move to get into the top three. She pulled away from Dwyer as the course mileage ticked toward 200. Eckert arrived at Fort Tuthill just over an hour behind Dauwalter. With about 40 miles to go, there was a three-woman race for the final two podium spots.
Dauwalter and Eckert ran close together for the next several miles, with Jackson still out in front. But by Walnut Canyon at mile 227, Dauwalter was closing in on Jackson, who was fading hard. In the final 30 miles, both Dauwalter and Eckert overtook a struggling Jackson. Jackson ultimately crossed the line in fourth place.
In the end, Courtney Dauwalter rebounded from her DNF last year to finish second in 61:58:35, under Entrekin’s previous women’s course record. Megan Eckert, who moved into the top three in the final stretches of the race, finished third in 63:09:07.
2026 Cocodona 250 Mile Women’s Results
- Rachel Entrekin – 56:09:48
- Courtney Dauwalter – 61:58:35
- Megan Eckert – 63:09:07
- Heather Jackson – 69:36:34
Tracking and full results.
[Editor’s Note: As of publishing time, runners are still out on course, and we will update these results as they finish.]
2026 Cocodona 250 Mile Men’s Race
Without returning champion and course record holder Dan Green, whose 2025 race largely ignited his career, the men’s race felt wide open entering the Monday morning race start. Kilian Korth — the 2025 triple crown of 200s winner and record holder, meaning he won the Bigfoot 200 Mile, Tahoe 200 Mile, and Moab 240 Mile in one year — was among those expected to be in the mix for the win.
Joe McConaughy, who won the 2022 edition of this race and finished 14th at the Western States 100 last summer, was back. Fan favorite Max Jolliffe, the former Moab 240 Mile winner who dropped from last year’s race with rhabdomyolysis, was also trying again. So was Edher Ramirez, who finished third last year. And you could never count Jeff Browning out. He has been competing at the highest levels of the sport for more than 2 decades.
At the start, though, there was a surprise leader. As the runners made their way through the first portion of the race in the Sonoran Desert, where they endured nearly a quarter of the race’s elevation gain in the first 40 miles, Kevin Taddonio was at or near the front of the race for all of the first 7 hours. Ultimately, though, Taddonio faded. He later dropped by Fain Ranch at mile 95; he was still 9 minutes ahead of Korth at Crown King at mile 37.
McConaughy was only another 9 minutes back with a solid chase pack behind him, including Jolliffe, Ramirez, and Cody Poskin. Jolliffe, unfortunately, dropped again this year, not long after the 100-mile mark.
Korth and McConaughy were close for the next several miles. They arrived at the Whiskey Row aid station at mile 76 within 3 minutes of each other and began the first night nearly together. McConaughy had just a 2-minute lead. By Mingus Mountain at mile 107, though, Korth began to pull away from the rest of the men’s field. After the descent into Jerome around mile 125, he led by nearly 2 hours.
Poskin, who placed seventh last year and posted a top-15 finish at this year’s Black Canyon 100k, was trailing at Whiskey Row. However, he used a strong first night to catch back up to McConaughy by Jerome.
Over the next 100-plus miles, Korth hit the gas as much as one can in a 250-mile race. Despite battling intense muscle pain throughout, he never trailed again. By Fort Tuthill at mile 212, his lead was nearly 2 hours over Poskin, who was charging hard and steadily separating himself from McConaughy.
Between Fort Tuthill and Walnut Canyon at mile 227, Poskin went from 2 hours behind Korth to about 45 minutes in the span of 16 miles. With less than 27 miles to go, it was going to come down to who had the legs to hold on.
In the end, Korth found another gear and held on, hobbling his way into Flagstaff. Kilian Korth won this year’s race in 57:28:36, under the previous men’s course record.
For his borderline heroic effort over the back half of the race, Cody Poskin earned a close second-place finish in 58:13:44, also under the previous men’s course record. Remarkably, he finished the race almost 13 hours ahead of his previous time.
Then there was the matter of the final podium spot. It came down to a battle between McConaughy, Zach Hauer, who placed sixth at the Javelina 100 Mile last year, and DJ Fox, who was in the mix for the podium last year before fading badly near the end.
This year, Fox wasn’t going to be denied. Hauer had about an hour lead on the race for the final podium spot at Schnebly Hill at mile 176. However, he faded hard soon after and ultimately finished in eighth place. After running near McConaughy for dozens of miles, Fox took control of third place by Walnut Canyon at mile 227 and began to pull away. Fox eventually finished third in 59:29:03. He shaved 10 hours off his time from last year, with Joe McConaughy fourth in 61:35:21.
2026 Cocodona 250 Mile Men’s Results
- Kilian Korth – 57:28:36
- Cody Poskin – 58:13:44
- DJ Fox – 59:29:03
- Joe McConaughy – 61:35:21
- Jakob Åberg (Sweden) – 62:11:56
Tracking and full results.
