Courtney Dauwalter is widely considered the greatest ultramarathon runner of the modern era, celebrated for her cheerful demeanor, legendary pain tolerance, and historic habit of beating entire fields of male and female competitors alike. Born in Hopkins, Minnesota, in 1985, she was a four-time state champion in Nordic skiing before attending the University of Denver on a skiing scholarship and later earning a Master’s degree in teaching. After working for several years as a middle and high school biology and chemistry teacher, she turned professional in 2017 and began completely rewriting the limits of human endurance. Dauwalter achieved ultimate legendary status during her historic 2023 season, becoming the first person ever to win ultrarunning’s prestigious "Triple Crown" in a single summer: the Western States 100, the Hardrock 100, and the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), shattering course records along the way. Her dominance spans diverse terrains and astronomical distances, famously winning the 2017 Moab 240-mile race outright by beating the second-place male finisher by more than 10 hours. Living and training at 10,200 feet in Leadville, Colorado, Dauwalter is a beloved anomaly in the high-stakes, meticulously calculated world of elite sports. Rejecting rigid training regimes, coaches, and tech trackers like Strava, she relies entirely on intuitive training, running based on how her body feels and famously fueling her grueling efforts with a diet of candy, nachos, and pizza. Instantly recognizable on the trails by her trademark baggy, knee-length men’s basketball shorts—affectionately dubbed "Shortneys" by her sponsor, Salomon—she pairs her relaxed aesthetic with a ruthless mental framework. She openly speaks about embracing the "pain cave," a mental space she visualizes entering during the late stages of a race where she uses a metaphorical chisel to reshape her physical limitations. Supported at aid stations by her husband and crew chief, Kevin Schmidt, Dauwalter continues to dominate global trails with a signature combination of a bright smile and unmatched athletic grit.
