A participant in the Cocodona 250 ultramarathon in northern Arizona died Tuesday after experiencing a medical emergency on the race course, race organizers and local law enforcement said. The woman, described as in her 40s, collapsed at a trailhead in the Groom Creek community south of Prescott in Yavapai County, prompting assistance from first responders.
Race officials and law enforcement said the emergency happened during the 250-mile (402-kilometer) event on trails across northern Arizona. Paul Wick, a spokesperson for the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, said first responders attended to a woman in her 40s who collapsed at a trailhead in the Groom Creek community south of Prescott.
Cocodona 250 ultramarathon codirector Erika Snyder confirmed the participant’s death. Snyder declined to provide additional details, citing the request of the runner’s relatives.
The race’s route, organizers said, includes long stretches across northern Arizona trails and large elevation gains, with the course rising more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) in elevation twice while passing through Sedona from its start in Black Canyon City. Organizers described the event as one of the tougher ultramarathons in the U.S.
This year’s race began Monday before dawn and continued for several days. The overall winner, Rachel Entrekin, finished on Wednesday afternoon in Flagstaff and set a course record, with a crowd gathered for the finish.
Organizers said they are preparing for changes next year as interest in the sport continues to grow. They said they plan to move to a lottery registration system because of the race’s popularity.
Race organizers said the event includes aid stations that offer opportunities to eat, hydrate and adjust equipment during the multi-day effort. Snyder said the race also includes a team of medical professionals stationed across the course, and she said racers sometimes nap on the ground as they move through the route, which can take up to five days.
Ultramarathons can test the limits of endurance, and the sport has expanded internationally in recent years. Organizers pointed to a prior example from 2021, when freezing rain and high winds were linked to the deaths of 21 runners at an ultramarathon through mountains in northwestern China.