Why Courtney Dauwalter is the Best Ultra Runner in the World
Beyond the physical: how her mindset sets her apart
I remember the first time I saw Courtney run.
I was browsing YouTube for some last minute motivation the night before a scheduled long run, a common practice of mine. Typically, I’d stick with tried and true inspiration from running greats like Usain Bolt, Haile Gebrselassie and Eliud Kipchoge. But since I was hitting the trails the next morning I instead typed “trail running” into the search bar.
Among the results was a video titled “Courtney Dauwalter, The Moab 240 Champion!”. I clicked, curious. Who was this woman who stood atop the podium at one of the toughest endurance races in the world?
Well I quickly found out.
Not only did Courtney win the race outright, she finished in 57:55:13, ten hours ahead of the second place finisher, Sean Nakamara. TEN. HOURS. I had never seen such a wide margin of victory since a 21-year old Tiger Woods won the Masters by a whopping 12 strokes in 1997.
This sparked a frenzied curiosity. I went down the rabbit hole, watching every video that even mentioned her name. I learned about her history. She would get up before dawn to train. She was good enough to run with the high school cross country team in 7th grade. She was a three time All-American cross-country skier.
I learned about her recent accomplishments. In addition to winning Moab in 2017, she won the Western States 100 (considered the Super Bowl of ultrarunning) in 2018. She won the UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc) in 2019, arguably the premier ultramarathon in Europe. She ran a whopping 283 miles at the Big Backyard Ultra Race back in October of this year.
Needless to say, she’s a physical specimen. It takes a certain amount of innate talent to succeed at the highest levels of sport. However, her physicality isn’t what makes her most interesting. It isn’t what makes her the best. Many athletes today share this degree of ability, we see them everyday when we turn on the TV.
What makes her the best is her mindset.
The pain cave
Discovering Courtney wasn’t my first foray into ultrarunning.
I was already somewhat familiar with the sport, introduced by expert storytellers (and accomplished ultra runners) Billy Yang and Jamil Coury.
Through their eyes I became acquainted with a pastime built on determination, grit, and tenacity. Passion was the currency here — blood, sweat and tears the entry fee. This was a sport that required everything from you physically, mentally and emotionally.
I became acquainted with a truly special community. One who supports each other in good times and bad, throughout the highs and lows, successes and failures. One big family.
Through their eyes I transversed the rocky mountains, scaled the alps and explored the Grand Canyon. I went North to Alaska and South to Patagonia. I had a front row seat to the majesty and wonder of our natural world, all in pursuit of that ever-elusive finish line.
I watched titans like Jim Walmsley and Killian Jornet push the limits of what’s possible, running so long and so fast it seemed unreal.
But for me, Courtney took things to the next level.
I remember one video in particular, where she took 2nd at the Tahoe 200 in September of 2018. This is where I was introduced to the concept of the “pain cave”. For the uninitiated, the pain cave is that place beyond the pines where we see what we’re made of. A place of extreme discomfort but also of profound discovery.
“I find a lot of comfort in being uncomfortable,” she says. “I call it the pain cave. It’s not a place I’m scared to enter. It’s a place I’m excited to find the entrance to.”
Courtney sees ultra running as an experiment into what her mind and body can do.
“What I keep discovering during these ultras is how powerful our brains can be,” the 35-year-old says. “Using that strength during a physical activity, tapping into my brain and using it to overcome the physical discomfort, is the main goal of doing an ultra for me.”
Mind over matter, as they say.
I’ve always been intrigued by the mental aspects of sport — they’re much more interesting than their physical counterparts. It’s easy for me to understand why Lebron James is basketball’s second-coming or why Serena Williams has 23 majors under her belt. Their physical prowess is unmatched.
What’s less obvious is how Michael Jordan made nine buzzer beaters in his storied career, out of a total of 25 game winners. How Michael Phelps captured 8 gold medals in one Olympic games. How Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon under 2 hours. How Courtney Dauwalter can drop out of Western States in June 2019 (the year after her win) due to injury then emerge victorious at UTMB a mere two months later.
Harnessing the power of the mind can push the body to do things previously thought to be impossible. The pain cave is real.
Courtney has the mental game figured out. That much is obvious. But as it turns out, she’s got one more trick up her sleeve. One additional card to play.
A superhuman level of positivity.
Embracing her inner Jedi warrior
“If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy”.
Anakin Skywalker (later Darth Vadar) famously shouts this line at Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi before their final showdown in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. It highlights one of the Sith’s (bad guys) core tenets: “If you’re not with me, you’re against me”.
We see this mentality in sports all the time. Athletes see their opposition as adversaries who must be destroyed. They trash talk, squabble and fight. Like the Sith, they use rage, anger and raw emotion to win. And many times, it’s spectacularly effective.
Courtney bucks this trend entirely.
Like the mindful Jedi warrior, peace and positivity fuel her endeavors (oh, and candy). She swaps rage, anger and fury for happiness, delight and prosperity. She’s always smiling and laughing. She doesn’t have one negative thing to say about anyone or anything. Even in times of crisis during a race her spirits are high.
She doesn’t run because she has to. She doesn’t run just because she’s good at it. She doesn’t run to get interviews or to be in magazines. She runs because she loves it. And that love spills out in every interview, video and podcast she does.
Courtney may be physically great, but she’s mentally exceptional. One in a billion. Her mental fortitude rivals some of the best sportsmen and women to ever walk the earth.
But more remarkably, I’ve never seen anyone, athlete or otherwise, combine this extreme level of physical and mental talent with such positivity and grace. The way she carries herself, both on and off the trail, is a shining example for amateur and professional athletes alike.
Courtney Dauwalter is not only the best ultra runner in the world, but arguably one of its best human beings.
In a world where devils like negativity, jealousy and narcissism rule, she is a beacon in the night.
At the end of the day, that’s what’s most important.
Scott Mayer is a runner, thinker, curious observer and certified personal trainer.