Prescott, Arizona – A participant in a grueling 250-mile (402-kilometer) ultramarathon race on trails across northern Arizona died Tuesday after suffering a medical emergency, race organizers and local law enforcement said.
Paul Wick, spokesman for the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, said Wednesday that first responders attended to a woman in her 40s who was participating in the race and collapsed at the trailhead in the Groom Creek community south of Prescott.
Erika Snyder, race director for the Cocodona 250 Ultramarathon, confirmed the death and declined to provide further details at the request of the runner’s relatives.
Ultramarathons can test the limits of human endurance, but deaths 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 hosted by Death Valley To the Himalayas.
One of the toughest marathons in the United States, the Cocodona features a course that rises more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) in elevation — twice — as it winds through Sedona from its start in Black Canyon City.
This year’s race started before dawn Monday, and the overall winner, Rachel Entrekin, finished Wednesday afternoon in front of a raucous crowd in Flagstaff while setting a course record.
Organizers say they will move to a lottery registration system next year because of the race’s popularity.
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 naps on the ground along the way in a race that can last five days.
In 2021, freezing rain and strong winds were associated with the weather 21 runners died In an ultramarathon through the mountains in northwest China.