Rachel Entrekin’s ‘Why Not You?’ approach reminds us all not to confine ourselves to where we think we belong in this sport.
When you’re new to trail running, it can feel overwhelming at first. The distances sound unreal. The terrain looks wild and unpredictable. And the people at the front of races? They can seem like they belong to a different world entirely.
But moments like this year’s Cocodona 250 remind us of something essential: they don’t.
Rachel Entrekin’s overall winning performance in the epic, 253-mile race across central Arizona on May 6 wasn’t just a race victory, it was a shift in what we believe is possible. The 34-year-old runner from Salida, Colorado, didn’t just take the women’s title as she did in 2024 and 2025. She won outright, broke the course record by nearly 3 hours, and did it against one of the most competitive fields the race has ever seen. And yet, what makes her 56-hour, 9-minute, 48-second performance so powerful especially for new runners is how human it all was.
“I definitely didn’t anticipate winning,” she admitted afterward. “That’s pretty sick though.”
That honesty matters. Because greatness in trail running doesn’t come from certainty, it comes from stepping into the unknown anyway.
Around mile 50, Rachel made a decision that would define her race. She took the lead early, something that even she questioned in the moment. “I felt, like, so stupid for doing that so early,” she said. “But then I thought, well, why not you?”
That question… ‘Why not you?‘ is the heart of this sport.
Ask Yourself: ‘Why Not You?’
For anyone just starting out, trail running isn’t about winning races or breaking records. It’s about learning how to keep going. Rachel herself credits something simple but profound: “I just kind of said yes to everything… every type of run that every type of person at every type of speed asked me to do.” That willingness to show up, adapt, and embrace discomfort became her foundation.
And that foundation carried her through 250 miles.
Even in the race’s hardest moments, she wasn’t invincible. She talked about past struggles on the course’s final climb up and over Mount Elden, moments where she’d “have a hissy fit” and fall apart. This time was different. “I had nobody (due to no pacers allowed on that section)… so I had to stop my own hissy fits,” she said. “And I actually had a great time.”
That’s trail running. Not perfection, but growth.
What we’re witnessing now goes beyond one race. Women are no longer just competing within their category, they’re redefining the front of the field entirely. In 2017, Courtney Dauwalter showed the world what was possible with her overall win at the Moab 240. In 2024, Jasmin Paris proved Barkley Marathons creator Lazarus Lake wrong as he famously said that a woman couldn’t finish Barkley, and Tara Dower pushed those limits further later that year with her overall Appalachian Trail FKT. And now Rachel’s performance at Cocodona adds another undeniable statement.
For young women watching or for anyone new to this sport that message is bigger than any podium. It’s an invitation.
Don’t limit your goals to what’s been done before. Don’t confine yourself to where you think you “belong.” The trail doesn’t care about expectations. It rewards persistence, courage, and belief.
So start where you are. Say yes to the run. Embrace the uncertainty. And when the moment comes, whether it’s mile 1 or mile 250, ask yourself the same question that changed everything for Rachel Entrekin:
Why not you?
Because out here, there are no limits. Only possibilities.
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About the Author
Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Allison Mercer is a dedicated endurance athlete and outdoor advocate. A member of the 2024 U.S. team for the 100K World Championships, she now serves as Head of the Fastest Known Time (FKT) website, where she helps connect and inspire a global community of runners, hikers, and adventurers pursuing iconic routes around the world.
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