The highly decorated but humble Colorado ultrarunner is at it again — Courtney Dauwalter is coming home from France with her third major 100-mile win of the summer.
The Leadville runner, 38, competed in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) this weekend, marking the third 100-mile race she has not only completed this summer, but won. Previously, she won the Western States Endurance Run in California on June 24 and Hardrock 100 Endurance Run in Colorado on July 14 — she broke the women's record at both. The Hardrock record had stood for 11 years. She broke it by more than an hour.
Together, the three races are arguably the triple crown of ultrarunning worldwide. While few athletes have won all three before, this marked the first time it was done in a single season.
UTMB shared the below video of her finish in France, which came just seven weeks after the Hardrock 100.
UTMB's iconic course takes runners 106 miles with an elevation gain around 32,000 feet around Mont-Blanc through Italy, Switzerland and ends in Chamonix, France.
Dauwalter, who is sponsored by Salomon, headed into race day with a calm attitude, knowing she had already pushed to new limits that summer and anything could happen when she asked her body to go another 100 miles.
"Pinning on a bib and pouring it out one more time this summer," she wrote on Instagram. "You don't know unless you try."
UTMB reported that she started the race well, but faced a few issues "that put her energy and fitness levels to the test."
"But she never gave up, progressing more or less smoothly, including the difficult climb to the La Flégère aid station," UTMB continued.
Her Instagram showed a brief and emotional moment when she gave her family a quick group hug around mile 70 at La Fouly.
Dauwalter described the whole second half as very difficult.
"My body was not wanting to run anymore and my stomach was a little finicky, so I almost lost my lunch on the streets of Champex-Lac," she said, smiling. "Luckily, held it together and was able to will myself to this finish line. But I honestly am not sure I would have made it back here without Kevin — my husband — and some of my family here crewing."
She finished in 23 hours, 29 minutes and 14 seconds. It marked her third title at the UTMB.
Dauwalter was followed by Katharina Hartmuth of Germany in second place (24 hours, 10 minutes, 52 seconds) and Blandine Hirondel of France (24 hours, 22 minutes, 50 seconds).
This year's UTMB results were historic in more than one way. For the first time ever, the United States won both the women's and men's race, with Jim Walmsley taking first in 19 hours, 37 minutes and 43 seconds.
The second-place male runner was Zach Miller, who lived at Barr Camp on Pikes Peak in Colorado for several years. He finished with his signature all-out sprint to the finish line in 19 hours, 58 minutes and 58 seconds.
Among her many accolades and other wins, Dauwalter set the new fastest known time for the 160-mile Collegiate Loop, which circles from the Twin Lakes Reservoir south to the Monarch Pass area, about a year ago. She broke the record for both men and women.
