Bang! At exactly 5:30 am, a shotgun rang out through the mountains of Olympic Valley, Tahoe, signifying the start of the 2023 Western States Endurance Run. This 100 mile race (yep, 100 MILES) is a brutal event in which athletes traverse through ice cold rivers, freezing snow, scorching hot canyons, and steep inclines and declines that total to 18,090 ft and 22,550 ft respectively, finishing in Auburn California. The strongest runners attempt to complete it under 24 hours, while most strive for the sub 30 hour cutoff.
“They’re probably the most strongest people mentally.” said Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS) varsity cross country and track athlete Adrian Lopez.
For 38-year-old Courtney Dauwalter however, there was a much, much bigger goal in her strong-willed mind. She wanted to beat Ellie Greenwood’s unbeatable 2012 course record of 16 hours 47 minutes. Not only did she destroy the record with a time of 15 hours 29 minutes, she would then proceed to travel back home to Colorado, where only 3 weeks later she would break another course record at the even more difficult Hardrock 100.
This in itself was a monstrous feat, but she shocked the running world again just two months later, winning the legendary UTMB 100 in France, setting yet another course record. This accomplishment is unmatched. Three 100 mile races in one summer. It took an unbelievable amount of physical strength to climb all the mountains and cover all the distance. Her attitude and mentality however, is what makes her a stand out as an ultra runner and one of the best athletes in the world.
Born and raised in Minnesota, Courtney ran cross country and track, and was the four time states champ in Nordic skiing in high school. She would end up becoming a teacher for several years until 2017 when she turned to ultra running full time. Seven years later, she is the undisputed GOAT (greatest of all time) of the sport with numerous course records, often beating most of or even all of the men in the race. Her approach however, is vastly different from most high level athletes. She lacks a strict diet or intense training plan, yet she keeps winning races with a big smile on her face.
Pain is not fun to most people, but Courtney Dauwalter has learned to chase the pain of running hundreds of miles joyfully. She calls this insane way of thinking “embracing the pain cave”.
“I believe her pain cave approach is excellent and the reason she has an edge on her competitors.” said ERHS cross country/track alumni, collegiate runner, and future ultra runner Madyson Nakamura.
she added to her previous statement, “Courtney welcomes the pain and views it in such a positive way that she can enjoy it.”
Dauwalter truly does embrace the pain. She claims it’s where true growth and good work happens. She craves the desire to dig deeper into the pain cave, always curious about how far she can push herself. This way of thinking makes her an incredible force, because she never lets the pain break her mentally, meaning whenever the pain of running a 240 mile race kicks in (yep, 240 MILE RACE), her brain is always in the game.
Courtney is also just a happy person. She is often seen running all of these miles with a big, friendly smile on her face. I was lucky enough to witness her break the Western States Endurance Run record in 2023, and when she crested the first big mountain at the beginning of the race, she arrived at the top with a huge smile on her face. This mountain is no joke, and there she was smiling. At mile 62, she was smiling again. As she entered the finishing track in Auburn at mile 100, she was smiling a great big smile. She simply loves her sport. It might be painful yes, but she always seems to approach each run and race with thankfulness and joy.
She’s also driven by her curiosity, testing how much she can push herself, and how fast she can go. These traits seem like traits lots of elite and non-elite athletes from all sports would like to replicate.
“If an athlete wants to succeed and have longevity, they should take some notes from Courtney’s mindset.” said Madyson Nakamura. “…Courtney Dauwalter’s mindset is what makes her unbeatable. She is not afraid of failure because she is so focused on growing and enjoying every mile!”
Courtney is truly an athlete like no other. Her stardom in the past few years has helped rocket the sport of ultra running to becoming the most popular it’s ever been, even appearing on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. She is a once in a generation athlete that everyone, runners and non runners alike can look up to for her amazing personality, championship mindset, physical strength, and great smile.
Adrian Lopez • Oct 9, 2024 at 3:23 pm
What a great article, covered the scope of not only her achievements but her character which helps explain why she is such a different beast. Really inspiring.