How to train for your first marathon: Expert tips for beginners
Training for a marathon? Here’s what you need to know before race day.
“Why not you?” — this is the mantra Rachel Entrekin repeated in her head while making ultramarathon history.
Entrekin, 34, beat all men and women at the Cocodona 250 Mile in Flagstaff, Arizona, on Wednesday.
She set a course record of 56 hours, 9 minutes, 48 seconds, faster than Killian Course, who set the men’s course record of 57 minutes, 28.36 seconds.
Before Entrekin, no woman had ever won the event overall in the history of the race.
It was the third year in a row that Antrekin won the award, but this time he ran more than seven hours faster.
After starting the race early Monday morning, Antrekin did not finish until Wednesday afternoon. To make this feat even more difficult, the course’s location meant that Entrekin had to endure breathing difficulties due to the altitude. The race had more than 38,000 feet of elevation gain.
Entrekin reportedly stopped for sleep only three times during his three-day reign. Each nap was less than 10 minutes long, for a total of 19 minutes of sleep, but she somehow stayed awake and averaged a 13:20 mile pace, including breaks.
To lead a group, Entrekin said, you need to overcome your own negative thoughts.
In a post-race interview posted on social media, Entrekin admitted he often wonders if he’s burnt out or if he’s crazy for even trying.
“If someone can win this, why can’t you?” she recalled when asked about her mindset.
Antrekin is not the only woman to win an ultramarathon outright. Comparables include Courtney Dowalter, who won the 2017 Moab 240 miler by a 10-hour margin.
Jasmine Parris, a mother of three, stopped to express breast milk when she set an overall course record at the 2019 Montane Spine Race.
Tara Dower completed the 2,189-mile Appalachian Trail in 40 days, 18 hours and 6 minutes, making her the fastest man or woman to do so.
“Even women, perhaps especially, tend to tell themselves they’re not qualified or don’t have the experience and don’t even try to do something,” Entrekin says. “But why not? Why not try it?”
