Runner competing in 250-mile ultramarathon dies after having medical emergency

PRESCOTT, Ariz. — A participant in a grueling 250-mile ultramarathon on the trails of northern Arizona died Tuesday after suffering a medical emergency, race organizers and local law enforcement said.

First responders tended to a woman in her 40s who was running and collapsed at a trailhead in the Groom Creek community south of Prescott, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Paul Wick said Wednesday.

Cocodona 250 ultramarathon co-director Erika Snyder confirmed the death and declined to provide further details when requested by the runner’s relatives.

Ultramarathons can test the limits of human endurance, but fatalities are very rare compared to the total number of participants in a sport that has grown in popularity in recent years around the world, with races held from Death Valley to the Himalayas.

The Cocodona is one of the toughest ultramarathons in the United States, with a course that rises more than a mile (1.6 km) in elevation – twice – through Sedona from its start in Black Canyon City.

This year’s race started before dawn Monday and overall winner Rachel Entrekin finished Wednesday afternoon in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Flagstaff while setting a course record.

Organizers say they will move to a lottery registration system next year because of the popularity of the race.

Aid stations provide opportunities to eat, hydrate and adjust equipment, with a team of medical professionals stationed throughout the course, Snyder said. Runners often take a nap on the ground along the way during a race that can last five days.

In 2021, freezing rain and strong winds were linked to the deaths of 21 runners during an ultramarathon through the mountains of northwest China.