Courtney Dauwalter sets a remarkable FKT in Colorado
The two-time UTMB champion snags her first fastest known time
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UTMB
This week, two-time UTMB champion and Ultra Running Magazine’s three-time ultrarunner of the year Courtney Dauwalter set a new fastest known time (FKT) of 40 hours and 14 minutes on Colorado’s 160-mile (257-kilometre) Collegiate Loop Trail, smashing the previous supported FKT by 20 hours.
The Collegiate Loop Trail is formed by the East and West Collegiate Peaks options of the Colorado Trail, featuring over 10,000m of elevation gain. Dauwalter ran the loop starting and ending in Twin Lakes, Colo., travelling counterclockwise.
Dauwalter travelled with a crew that met her at road crossings to provide snacks and “some jokes” and who also joined in to run in a few sections. The start of the trail is only an hour and a half away from Dauwalter’s home in Golden, Colo.
The previous women’s and men’s supported records for the Collegiate Loop Trail were held by Annie Hughes at 61 hours, 19 minutes and Nick Pedatella at 46 hours, 48 minutes.
“I have been craving a multi-day effort all summer but have been waiting for my legs, brain, heart, and the weather to say “GO!,” Dauwalter said on her Instagram before starting her FKT.
Dauwalter decided not to run UTMB this season, since her focus was on winning the Hardrock 100 for the first time, earlier in July, after a DNF in 2021.
Despite holding the women’s course records at UTMB, Hardrock 100 and Moab 240, this is Dauwalter’s first FKT.
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