Rachel Entrekin
American ultramarathon runner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rachel Entrekin (born 17 June 1991[2]) is an American elite ultramarathon runner and physical therapist, best known for her performances in long-distance trail and mountain racing. She is the only three-time winner of the Cocodona 250, one of North America's most demanding ultramarathons.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 17, 1991 Madison, Alabama, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Ultrarunner, Physical therapist |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Ultramarathon / Trail running |
| Team | Norda[1] |
In 2026 Entrekin became the first woman to win the Cocodona 250 race outright, setting an overall course record of 56 hours 9 minutes and 48 seconds in the process.[3]
Early life and career
Entrekin was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and took up running in college while pursuing her degree in exercise science.[4][5] She completed her degree in 2012, and her Doctorate in 2016. After running her first half marathon in 2010 and full marathon in 2011, she just kept running. She says, "I figured out I was pretty good at the races and just gradually increased the mileage and soon made the descent into insanity."[5]
Running career
From 2013 onwards she started running ultra events, initially focusing on the 50K distance.[6]
After moving to Washington State in 2016, she began setting Fastest Known Times (FKTs) on Mt. Rainier's Wonderland Trail, Mt. Hood's Timberline Trail, and Section J of the Washington Pacific Crest Trail.[4] She holds 15 records for established routes in the Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, the Transverse ranges, and Catalina Island.[7]
Despite impressive race results during 2023, Entrekin was unsuccessful in attracting sponsors for her running career and resorted to GoFundMe to finance her two 2024 goal races Spartathlon and Cocodona 250.[8]
Entrekin entered the Cocodona 250, a 253-mile ultramarathon through central Arizona, for the first time in 2024 and won the women's field.[7] In 2025, she won the race again and broke the female course record with a time of 63 hours, 50 min and 55 seconds, finishing in fourth place overall. With this, she became the only two-time winner of the race.[9]
Since her first Cocodona win, Entrekin took first at the High Lonesome 100 miler, the Aspen Backcountry Marathon, the Mammoth 200 miler (finishing second overall) and the Pass Mountain 50 before winning the Coldwater Hundred outright in January 2026.[10] She finished third female and 14th overall at the Chianti ultra Trail by UTMB in 2026.[11]
Entrekin went on to come in first place overall in Cocodona 250 in 2026, being the first female overall winner. Her time of 56 hours 9 minutes and 48 seconds was a new course record, improving both her own women's course record of 63:50:55 as well as Dan Green's men's record of 58:47:18.[3][12]
In December 2025, Entrekin signed with Norda.[1] She is also sponsored by Precision Fuel and Hydration[4].
Awards and recognition
Entrekin was named #4 in the 2025 UltraRunner of the Year vote.[9]