She ran 254 miles across the Arizona desert on mashed potatoes and 19 minutes of sleep — and beat every man in the race doing it.
Rachel Entrekin just pulled off one of the most jaw-dropping performances in ultramarathon history, crossing the Cocodona 250 finish line in a record-shattering 56 hours, nine minutes, and 48 seconds.
The 34-year-old didn’t just win the women’s race — she took the overall title ahead of every male competitor on the course.
And now, with barely a moment to catch her breath, she’s setting her sights on a face-off with ultrarunning legend Courtney Dauwalter at the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in France.
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254 Miles, Three Wins, One Record
This wasn’t Entrekin’s first rodeo in the Sonoran Desert. It was her third consecutive Cocodona victory — but this time, she did it faster than anyone ever has.
Her previous winning time from 2025 clocked in at 63 hours, 50 minutes, and 55 seconds. She obliterated that benchmark by nearly eight hours.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
The Cocodona 250 is widely considered one of the most brutal ultramarathons on the planet. Runners navigate the Sonoran Desert, wind through the red rock landscapes of Sedona, and grind up the elevation of Flagstaff — all while accumulating roughly 38,800 feet of total climb.
It is, by any measure, an absolutely punishing undertaking.
The Fuel Plan: Mashed Potatoes and Micro-Naps
So how exactly do you sustain yourself across 250-plus miles of desert terrain?
For Entrekin, the answer was equal parts practical and delightfully unexpected.
Mashed potatoes are the best. You get tired of chewing and you don’t want to expend any extra energy doing that.
She also kept herself going with energy gels, sweets, rice, and broth — consuming an almost uncountable number of calories over the course of the race.
Sleep was even more rationed. Around mile 200, she grabbed a five-minute nap at an aid station. Then, near mile 230, she took two seven-minute naps on the floor before pushing through to the end.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Nineteen total minutes of sleep. Over 250 miles. Let that sink in.
Despite all of that, she somehow found the energy to sprint across the finish line.
Why She Came Back With Something to Prove
Entrekin’s 2024 Cocodona win didn’t feel like a triumph — at least not on the inside.
I actually did not like the person that emerged from that challenge. 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.
That internal reckoning became the driving force behind her record-breaking 2026 campaign. Winning wasn’t the only goal — who she became in the process mattered just as much.
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.
That kind of mental clarity, she believes, is what separates elite ultrarunners from the rest of the field — especially in an event where men and women compete together.
Why She Believes the Playing Field Levels Out at 250 Miles
Beating every male competitor across 254 miles is a statement that demands explanation.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Entrekin has one — and it’s rooted in years of experience and self-awareness.
Men and women obviously have very different skillsets but in an event like this, it comes down to so much more than just fitness. 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.
It’s a perspective shaped by both her athletic career and her professional background. Before becoming a full-time professional trail runner, Entrekin worked as a physiotherapist — and after her previous Cocodona victories, she went straight back to work the following day.
Training by Feel, Not by Formula
Don’t expect to find Entrekin obsessing over a rigid training plan — because she doesn’t use one.
She describes her approach as “non-traditional,” logging roughly 70 to 80 miles per week around the Arkansas Valley in Colorado without tracking weekly mileage or working with a coach.
Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, she now trains among the high-altitude terrain of Colorado — and it’s clearly working.
Next Stop: UTMB — and a Showdown With Courtney Dauwalter
After crossing the finish line, Entrekin spent her morning sleeping until 6:30am, refuelling, and cheering on fellow runners still making their way to the end — supported throughout the race by a six-person crew that included her parents.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
A rest period is coming. But it won’t last long.
Her next target is the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France — a 108-mile race that, after Cocodona, might almost feel manageable.
Almost.
UTMB is where the sport’s biggest names collide, and Entrekin is heading there riding a wave of historic momentum. If her Arizona performance is any indication of what she’s capable of, the competition in Chamonix has every reason to take notice.
