The secret to breaking a course record in a 250-mile ultramarathon? Mashed potatoes and just 19 minutes of sleep on the ground.
That was the fuel behind Rachel Entrekin’s historic run at the Cocodona 250 in Arizona, where the American won the overall race—including the men’s field—with a record-breaking time of 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 48 seconds.
“Somewhere around mile 200, I slept for five minutes at an aid station,” said the 34-year-old, speaking to the media the morning after her victory. “Then around mile 230, I took two seven-minute naps on the floor. And as for food, it’s hard to say how much I ate, but I had a lot of mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are the best. You get tired of chewing, and you don’t want to waste any extra energy doing that.”
Entrekin also consumed energy gels, sweets, rice, and broth along the route, and even managed a sprint finish. The morning after the race, after sleeping from 11 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., she spent time refueling and cheering on other runners crossing the finish line.
Supported by a six-person crew that included her parents, this marked her third consecutive win, having previously taken the women’s titles in both 2024 and 2025.
“Men and women obviously have very different skill sets, but in an event like this, it comes down to so much more than just fitness,” Entrekin explained. “Your attitude and your ability to handle stress are just as important as your physical fitness. So I think the field is much more leveled in something like this.”
The Cocodona 250 is considered one of the toughest ultramarathons globally, running from the Sonoran Desert through Sedona and up the hills of Flagstaff, with a total climb of about 38,800 feet.
Entrekin is now a professional trail runner but previously worked as a physiotherapist. After her earlier Cocodona races, she returned to work the next day. Her time last year was 63 hours, 50 minutes, and 55 seconds, a result of feeling unsatisfied after the 2024 event.
“I actually didn’t like the person who emerged from that challenge,” she said. “I finished and won the race, but I was in a negative headspace. I wasn’t excited about what I had just done. So coming back in 2025, one of my big goals was to be a person I could stand behind when I reached the finish line, no matter what place that was. This race is an excellent opportunity to discover what kind of person you are over the course of breathtaking scenery, lots of rocks, and eating tons of snacks!”
She describes her training as “non-traditional,” saying she doesn’t track her weekly mileage or follow a coaching plan. An average week involves roughly 70 to 80 miles around the Arkansas Valley in Colorado, where she now lives, though she originally hails from Birmingham, Alabama.
Although she will take a break after the Cocodona, Entrekin already has her sights set on the next race—the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France—which, at 108 miles, will likely feel like a stroll in comparison.
