Authorities said the woman collapsed near Groom Creek during the multiday Arizona ultramarathon.
PRESCOTT, Ariz. — A woman competing in the Cocodona 250 died Tuesday after a medical emergency near Groom Creek, authorities said, bringing a fatal turn to the 253-mile ultramarathon that stretches from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said first responders were called about 5 p.m. to an area near Senator Highway and the Groom Creek Trailhead, southeast of Prescott. Deputies said the runner, a woman in her 40s, had collapsed. Her name had not been released. The sheriff’s office said there was no sign of foul play and the death was not considered suspicious.
Race organizers said the participant suffered a “serious medical emergency” during the event and later died. They said the runner’s family and crew had been notified. “Please keep the runner’s family, friends, fellow runners, volunteers, and first responders in your thoughts,” organizers said in a public statement. They said the race would continue in the runner’s honor and asked participants and crews to carry the runner’s memory with them on the trail.
The Cocodona 250 began at 5 a.m. Monday, May 4, from Deep Canyon Ranch in Black Canyon City. The route crosses central and northern Arizona before ending in downtown Flagstaff. The full course is listed at 253.3 miles, with a 125-hour cutoff, 38,791 feet of estimated elevation gain and 33,884 feet of estimated elevation loss. The route includes single-track trail, double-track trail and pavement, with runners moving through desert, mountain towns and high-country terrain over several days and nights.
The medical emergency happened during the early part of the race, before many runners had reached the higher-elevation sections farther north. Groom Creek sits south of Prescott, a key region on the route before the course moves toward Mingus Mountain, Jerome, Sedona and Flagstaff. The exact cause of the medical emergency had not been released. Officials did not say whether the runner died at the trailhead, at a hospital or during transport. Race officials also did not release the runner’s bib number or hometown.
Jamil Coury, founder of Aravaipa Running, said during the event’s live coverage that organizers were withholding personal details at the family’s request. “Out of respect for their family and loved ones, we are not sharing additional personal details at this time,” Coury said, adding that the team was supporting those directly involved. Cocodona codirector Erika Snyder also confirmed the death and declined to provide more information because of the family’s request for privacy.
The Cocodona 250 has become one of the best-known 200-mile-plus races in the United States since its launch in 2021. The 2026 event included the full 250-mile race and shorter distances tied to the same race week, including the Sedona Canyons 125, Bradshaw Brute 100, Mingus Traverse and Flagstaff Crest. The full Cocodona course is known for long climbs, sleep loss and wide changes in terrain and temperature. Aid stations, crews, pacers and medical staff are part of the race structure, but runners can spend long stretches moving through remote trail sections.
The death came during a year that also produced a major competitive milestone. Rachel Entrekin won the Cocodona 250 outright Wednesday in 56 hours, 9 minutes and 48 seconds, becoming the first woman to win the race overall and setting a course record. Kilian Korth finished second overall and first among men in 57 hours, 28 minutes and 36 seconds, setting a men’s course record. Their finishes drew crowds in Flagstaff, where the celebration was tempered by news of the fatal emergency earlier in the race.
Race officials said the event would continue after the death, a decision they framed as a way to honor the runner. The statement from organizers thanked the race community and first responders while acknowledging the grief felt across the course. Runners, crews and volunteers remained spread across central and northern Arizona as the race moved toward its Saturday cutoff. Organizers did not announce any broad course change tied to the death.
Authorities had not announced a criminal investigation, and no charges were pending. The sheriff’s office described the case as a medical emergency and said the death was not suspicious. Any further official findings would likely depend on medical review and family notification. As of Sunday, May 10, the runner’s identity, exact cause of death and any additional medical details had not been made public.
The race has ended, but officials have released few new details about the fatal emergency near Groom Creek. The next public milestone would be any update from the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, the medical examiner or Cocodona organizers if the runner’s family allows more information to be shared.
Author note: Last updated 2026-05-10.