Courtney Dauwalter

About

Courtney Dauwalter is an American ultrarunner born on February 13, 1985 in Hopkins, Minnesota, widely regarded as the greatest female ultrarunner in history and the benchmark by which elite long-course mountain performance is measured. A four-time Minnesota state champion in Nordic skiing, she studied biology at the University of Denver on a cross-country skiing scholarship before becoming a full-time professional runner in 2017 and signing with Salomon. In 2023 she became the first person ever — male or female — to win Western States 100 (15:29:34, a new women's course record breaking the 11-year-old mark by over 70 minutes), Hardrock 100, and UTMB Mont-Blanc in the same calendar year — her third UTMB title and second Western States — a feat immediately christened the triple crown of 100-milers. She has since added Hardrock 2024, the Transgrancanaria, Mt. Fuji 100, and the Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB to a résumé that is without parallel in the sport's history. A five-time UltraRunner of the Year (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023), she lives and trains above 10,000 feet in Leadville, Colorado, and is known for her signature baggy shorts, cheerful demeanour, legendary capacity to endure what she calls the pain cave, and a pre-race diet heavy on candy and cookies.

Notable Wins

• — Western States 100 2018
• — 2023 (15:29:34
• — women’s course record)
• — UTMB Mont-Blanc ×3 (including 2019 and 2023)
• — Hardrock 100 2023 (CCW course record by 1+ hour)
• — 2024
• — Mt. Fuji 100 2024
• — The North Face Transgrancanaria 2024
• — La Sportiva Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB 2025
• — 5× UltraRunner of the Year (2018
• — 2019
• — 2021
• — 2022
• — 2023)

Upcoming Races

Race History

Recent Coverage