In 2023, Dauwalter became the first person, male or female, to win the Triple Crown, the three most iconic 100-mile races in the world, in a single season. Ultrarunning, with races ranging from 50km to 250 miles, is defined by type-A personalities: meticulous, rigid, detail-oriented, even obsessed. Courtney Dauwalter, 38, is the exception to the rule.
Dauwalter does not have a coach or a strict training plan. She’s never been on Strava and doesn’t plan races far ahead of time. She runs in long shorts and baggy clothes because, she says, they are more comfortable.
She eats candy while training and drinks beer afterwards, because that’s what makes her the most happy. “My diet is to eat the things that look good in quantities that feel good,” said Dauwalter. “My fuel tank is based on joy.
If I’m happy, the engine works way better.” While her philosophy may sound casual, the results say otherwise. In the last decade, Dauwaler has won more than 50 ultras, often in dominant fashion, and is widely considered the greatest of all time.
Over the summer of 2023, Dauwalter became the first person, male or female, to win the Triple Crown in the same season. The triple consists of Western States 100, Hardrock 100, and UTMB, three of the most grueling, competitive and iconic ultras in the world. Only one other athlete, Kilian Jornet, has won all three in the span of an entire career.
Yet, despite a barrage of accolades, Dauwalter says winning the Triple Crown didn’t change.