The publish Courtney Dauwalter, 2026 Hardrock 100 Champion, Interview appeared first on iRunFar.
In profitable the 2026 Hardrock 100, Courtney Dauwalter turns into a four-time champion and a holder of a lot of the quickest instances on this course. Within the following interview, Courtney talks about what went proper with this efficiency, how her abdomen turned on the lengthy downhill after the course excessive level, her unhealthy abdomen for the remainder of the race, and whether or not she thinks the code is crackable for an ideal Hardrock day.
Learn our 2026 Hardrock 100 outcomes article for the complete play-by-play on this yr’s race.
[Editor’s Note: If you are unable to see the video above, click here to watch it.]
Courtney Dauwalter, 2026 Hardrock 100 Champion, Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Bryon Powell of iRunFar right here with Courtney Dauwalter after her win of the 2026 Hardrock 100. How are you?
Courtney Dauwalter: Oh, I’m superb.
iRunFar: You’re sizzling and buttered?
Dauwalter: Yeah, it simply occurred. So I’m confused what day it’s, what time it’s. Did a race occur? I can’t keep in mind.
iRunFar: Are you aware who you might be?
Dauwalter: I feel I nonetheless do know that.
iRunFar: Okay. It’s early within the day.
Dauwalter: Yeah. Yeah.
iRunFar: You ran the clockwise course report as we speak. You’re within the second-fastest girls’s time. And I simply seemed up, you might have run 4 of the quickest 5 girls’s instances right here ever. These are all kind of externally gauged accomplishments, however they’re fairly wonderful. What does it really feel to… It’s such as you’ve really left a mark on this race.
Dauwalter: Properly, thanks.
iRunFar: Properly, how does that really feel?
Dauwalter: Yeah, it’s onerous to say. I like this race. I like how onerous the course is. I like that I’ve gotten the chance to come back again so many instances. However I additionally actually dislike that each one of these loops have left like just a little little bit of an unhappy feeling in spite of everything of them. So even as we speak’s, just like the preliminary thought is, for certain, gratitude and like, “What an journey. That was so cool.” But additionally, “Dang it, Hardrock beat us once more.”
iRunFar: Properly, we’re going to get to that. We’re going to go down that route in a second. Properly, we’re going to get to that. We’re going to go down that route in a second. However a counterpoint to that, as a result of these are externally kind of judged, you’ve completed Hardrock 4 instances. Every time you might have run quicker, every time you’ve set a course report, and it’s all inside, I consider, 41 minutes, if I’m remembering your numbers precisely right. That’s exceptional consistency. Even when issues have gone flawed, you might have been in a dang tight window.
Dauwalter: Yeah, that’s form of loopy.
iRunFar: Yeah.
Dauwalter: All within the 26s, proper?
iRunFar: Like 26:03 to 26:44, I hope. If I obtained that proper, that’s a miracle.
Camerawoman (Meghan Hicks off digital camera): Kevin’s again right here truth checking.
iRunFar: Information scientist confirmed.
Dauwalter: Yeah. I suppose 26, it’s certainly one of my fortunate numbers, so it appears becoming.
iRunFar: It must be. We should always get a jersey.
Dauwalter: We should always get tattoos.
iRunFar: By the way in which, your new identify is the Pink Rabbit. We had been sitting up at – I’m pointing over at Kevin Schmidt, her husband – we had been at Grouse, and we’re already just a little crazy. And we’re like, “Right here’s Courtney and right here’s the Pink Rabbit,” which is the ladies’s course report development on the course and, effectively, that’s you. Simply you in a earlier iteration. So-
Kevin Schmidt (off digital camera): Chasing her ghost.
iRunFar: Her chasing her or getting chased by a pink bunny.
Dauwalter: I like that visible. That might’ve been a enjoyable hallucination.
iRunFar: So we are able to make just like the Pink Bunnies T-shirt with a 26 on the again.
Dauwalter: Yeah.
iRunFar: It’s your softball staff.
Dauwalter: Excellent.
iRunFar: We’re going to speak about what went flawed as we speak, however do you suppose that that reveals perhaps like that’s form of your candy spot? I imply, you’ve talked about you may suppose you may go a complete lot quicker, or it’s potential. It’s onerous for me to articulate what I’m attending to, and I apologize for that. I’ve not slept a lot, however…
Dauwalter: I imply, perhaps that’s my potential, and now another person must crack the code for a way can we get it into the low 25s? How can we get the ladies’s time to learn a 24 as the primary quantity? As a result of I do know that these issues can occur, and I’ve swung at it a number of instances, and I preserve touchdown within the 26s. So yeah, perhaps that’s all I’ve obtained.
iRunFar: No, I don’t suppose it’s. I can’t wrap my head round that you simply’ve been that constant. You had the one yr that you simply dropped out, however while you’ve made it, you’ve made it so constantly. And but there are nonetheless holes in that puzzle. On a optimistic observe, did you discover any new puzzle items on the market? Did you discover something new that labored, or a brand new technique, or one thing that you’ll take from this working of Hardrock and transfer ahead with?
Dauwalter: Yeah, for certain. We had a very nice first a part of the race this yr, the place it felt like… My aim stepping into was to attempt to easy the complete loop, like put collectively every of the sections as effectively as we might and simply have easy waters rolling by. And I might say we’ve by no means put collectively so many consecutive sections the place that was true. And from the beginning of the race, it was like, yeah, issues simply rolling rather well and feeling actually good and feeling like I had ready correctly for what these mountains ask of a physique and a mind. Yeah, in order that was a very cool tally within the, win column of perhaps we dialed the coaching just a little bit higher, or perhaps the years of expertise helped in simply realizing what we had been stepping into just a little bit extra. However, for certain, up till Handies, which was round 65 miles-
iRunFar: Yep, you bought it.
Dauwalter: … yeah. It felt like we actually had been stitching collectively environment friendly sections the place it might be like much more minor issues we might work on, however not like an enormous obvious, like whoo, we blew it on that one.
iRunFar: The factor about ultramarathons, and about Hardrock specifically, is the whole lot is okay till it’s not.
Dauwalter: Yeah.
iRunFar: And when was it not and what was not okay?
Dauwalter: My abdomen simply turned actually shortly and fairly violently. So after summiting Handies, you do a very lengthy descent right down to the highway, and you then run the highway just a little extra downhill to a different assist station. And each single time I’ve completed the loop on this route, my abdomen activates that part whereby Sherman, which is at mile 70 about, I’ve began throwing up. So I don’t know what it’s about that a part of the loop on this route, however going into the race this yr, it was like, “We’re avoiding that.” I had it in my head even working down like, “Keep chill. We’re not getting the pukes as we speak. We are able to do that. We are able to beat this.” And certain sufficient, go away Sherman and I spend the complete night time simply throwing up all around the course and form of swirling the drain in all methods.
iRunFar: Yeah. Heard you left some enterprise in Maggie Gulch.
Dauwalter: I used to be so mortified as a result of the help station is so beautiful there and such a beacon of sunshine to reach to, and I used to be coming down. So uphills was triggering throwing up, downhills was triggering throwing up, transferring in any respect was triggering. So yeah, it was a dropping battle on the market, however descending right down to that assist station, they’re all cheering and watching. After which I’m identical to doubled over within the bushes, I’m like, “Sorry. I’m so sorry.”
iRunFar: “You all are superior,” proper?
Dauwalter: Yeah.
iRunFar: And the story of the second half, typically talking, was a narrative of your abdomen not cooperating.
Dauwalter: Yeah.
iRunFar: So going into your head just a little bit, such as you’re, that is… Oop, are you going to puke on us?
Dauwalter: Sorry.
iRunFar: Going into your head just a little bit-
Camerawoman: You’re puking a bunch. You in all probability suppose you already know you may end, however you retain pushing.
Dauwalter: I truly wasn’t certain.
iRunFar: You weren’t certain, okay. However you stored going.
Dauwalter: I assumed I would simply stay on the climb out of Maggie’s now.
iRunFar: I imply, Buffalo Boy is an effective piece of actual property.
Dauwalter: Yeah. Yeah. That’s what I used to be considering.
iRunFar: However you someway managed to maintain pushing and also you’re, actually, hours and hours forward. Like this enormous cushion, you possibly can primarily stroll it in, and also you don’t. What drives you to nonetheless push while you don’t essentially must?
Dauwalter: It’s, for certain, one of many causes I join this stuff. I wish to know what’s potential for me on that day, on that course. So to do something lower than pour it out the entire manner by could be towards a type of key items of signing up for this stuff.
iRunFar: Let me get again within the head house right here. So that you’ve beforehand relied on fairly massive, at the very least in recent times, fairly massive crews, a complete staff of… And a variety of these persons are, actually, your mother and father or decades-old pals. That is like not you hiring an expert crew or having some simply quick folks be a part of up with you. This time you modified it up. How was it to only be underneath the steering of Schmitty?
Dauwalter: Oh, it was so enjoyable. I like that that’s how we did the race this yr. Simply actually simplified, actually trimmed right down to, yeah, retaining it nearly finishing the loop as greatest we might. Kevin did an incredible job. He’s positively a professional crew. And we had been fortunate that we do nonetheless have a variety of these pals out right here. So there’s all the time nonetheless additional arms, if he wanted them at assist stations holding moist wipes or eye drops for me. So it was-
iRunFar: It wasn’t really solo, however form of following simply within the path magic form of ethos.
Dauwalter: Yeah, completely.
iRunFar: And the way about you? You had been on the market alone all day. How was that?
Dauwalter: It was cool. It glided by shortly. And going into it, I wasn’t certain how scared I might really feel within the night time.
iRunFar: Reputable concern, yeah.
Dauwalter: Yeah. I imply, you’re on the market in the midst of nowhere. A variety of years throughout that exact part, I’ve seen not a single different headlamp. This subject will get so unfold out by nighttime. So I used to be interested in that, and if I might be form of working just a little bit scared.
iRunFar: Your grizzly bear calls were- efficient.
Dauwalter: Yeah, yeah.
Dauwalter: And it simply truly felt like peaceable. I don’t know. It gave me the sensation I hoped for of like simply the sound of toes and respiratory and mountains, and that felt actually cool.
iRunFar: And is {that a}, “I’m in all probability going to do this more often than not going ahead,” or do you suppose you’ll form of resolve on a case-by-case foundation with you?
Dauwalter: Most likely case-by-case as a result of it’s a actually cool factor to share with pals as effectively, like convey them right into a race that perhaps they might by no means do totally themselves or, yeah, simply create these life recollections collectively. I feel it’s an amazing alternative for that, so it’ll in all probability be case-by-case.
iRunFar: When you might return 10 years to an earlier Courtney and provides her ultrarunning advice- what would it not be?
Dauwalter: Ooh.
Dauwalter: Younger Courtney.
iRunFar: Or like again to only Schmitty crewing you, simply winging it, Shortneys and all.
Dauwalter: I feel I’d say, “Simply preserve winging it. Yeah. Like the sport of it is without doubt one of the enjoyable elements. So that you don’t should know what you’re doing, or the best way to do it the very best, and even why you’re doing it typically, but-”
iRunFar: So perhaps would you might have stored it just a little looser than perhaps you might have in a few of the newer years? Or do you suppose you’ve all the time stored that spirit?
Dauwalter: I feel we’ve stored that spirit.
iRunFar: Okay.
Dauwalter: Out of your vantage level, does it seem to be we’ve stored that?
iRunFar: No, however I used to be simply questioning that within the context of you drawing consideration to that for your self. Like did that shift sooner or later and now this was a lesson like, “Oh, yeah, these earlier routes are…”
Dauwalter: No, but-
iRunFar: Not pure, however simply there’s one thing magic about that?
Dauwalter: Yeah. Possibly the thought got here from like considering of younger Courtney getting into a brand new sport. But when that was proper now when there’s a lot professionalism of it and it’s actually dialed programs, I might say to that younger individual in that skilled sphere like, “You possibly can preserve it chill, and it’s superb.”
iRunFar: Received it. You’ve additionally had a variety of expertise and experiences and success and seen a variety of issues. What do you continue to, within the working house, nonetheless dream about? If that’s an journey, a race, a sense, no matter it’s.
Dauwalter: I feel the sensation of curiosity is a big side of the issues that pull us in, and simply questioning what’s potential, or how would it not really feel to do this, or can I do this?
Dauwalter: So I don’t have a particular listing proper now to share with you as a result of that may require extra mind cells than I at the moment have. However, for certain, we wish to preserve taking part in and exploring for our complete lives.
iRunFar: Properly, I wish to preserve seeing the place your explorations take you, Courtney. Thanks a lot.
Dauwalter: Thanks.
Bonus Query:
iRunFar: And I obtained a bonus query for you as a result of we’re bringing this out of the Wayback Machine.
Dauwalter: Wait, I like a bonus query.
iRunFar: So, Courtney, you might be such a gracious, grateful individual. You thank everyone. I feel I joked at one assist station, you thanked some rocks coming into KT. I would like you to thank your self for one thing.
Dauwalter: What?
iRunFar: What are you grateful about your self?
Dauwalter: This feels too deep for a bonus query.
Camerawoman: It’s additionally like anti-Minnesotan.
Dauwalter: It’s totally anti-Minnesotan. My genes are like-
iRunFar: There doesn’t should be delight, however what do you… Yeah. What has Courtney obtained proper?
Dauwalter: Kevin.
iRunFar: That’s the greatest Minnesotan deflection we are able to now simply exit this interview with. And he’s blushing.
Dauwalter: We obtained Kev blushing over there within the wings.
iRunFar: Second time this interview, mission completed.
Courtney Dauwalter, 2026 Hardrock 100 Champion, Interview by Bryon Powell.
