Entrekin Wins and Breaks Records at Cocodona 250
Rachel Entrekin won the challenging 250-mile Cocodona 250 running race on May 6, 2026. Not only was she the first woman to finish, she also beat the first man by over an hour and broke the race’s record by about two hours.
Ultra-marathons are supremely long running races, usually held between 30 to 125 miles long, but some can be longer, such as Cocodona. undefinedstated that ultra-marathons are “often held in challenging places to run, like forests and mountains.” Ultra-marathons are meant to be difficult races for runners, causing them to become extremely exhausted, or even injured.
The Cocodona 250 race is held in Arizona, where it unfurls over deserts, mountains, and forests. “In all, they go up as much as if they were climbing a 7.35 mile (11.8 kilometer) mountain,” articulated undefined of runners traveling over the undulating terrain. Runners face land that takes them up and down repetitively.
Entrekin started running in 2009, and over time, she started running longer and longer distances. “Entrekin has run lots of ultra-marathons, and won many of them,” stated undefined. In fact, she won the Cocodona 250 last year, too.
This year, she finished in 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 48 seconds, eight hours faster than her time last year. “And it was 1 hour and 18 minutes faster than this year’s fastest man,” said undefined of Entrekin’s time. Additionally, she beat the course’s record by around two hours.
looked back at all the races she had won before, she decided that she was just as deserving to be the winner as anyone else. According to undefined, “Entrekin said she thought to herself, ‘I think I can do this, so why not?’”
The race definitely wasn’t easy, though. Entrekin ran for two and a half days straight, sleeping for only 19 minutes. “She took three short naps – each one lasting just seven minutes or less,” wrote undefined Editors of Entrekin’s sleep during Cocodona. She didn’t have a bed to sleep in; rather, she had to rest on the ground.
As for food, Entrekin had to eat and drink while she was running, or else take a very quick break. “Entrekin ate a whole lot of mashed potatoes, which were perfect for her situation,” said undefined. Entrekin told the BBC that she got tired of chewing.
Entrekin says that in an ultra-marathon, speed isn’t the only crucial skill. A runner’s attitude and the ability to handle tough circumstances are just as important, she believes. Entrekin also hopes that society will stop comparing women to men to measure their success. She thinks that women should always attempt to do something, even if they aren’t sure of success. Entrekin faces challenges with an open, determined mind: Why not try?