Endurance news from the week of February 26

👋 Good morning! Happy Friday, friends. The Front Pack newsletter is your source for all things endurance. We bring you the top stories, headlines, deals and other highlights from the week, each Friday. Click here for the web edition.

Hard to fathom it’s only February and Austin temperatures are already hitting in the 80s. It’s nice now but also terrified for the heat we have ahead these next 8 months.

Stay moving…✌🏼 – Scott

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Headlines

🏃 Big $$$ at Tough Mudder: A whopping $480,000 prize purse went out to obstacle course racers at the first-ever 2024 Tough Mudder Infinity AlUla event in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, over the weekend. Individual winners Jonathan Albon (U.K.) and Alisa Petrova (Russia) each collected $80,000. [The OCR report]

🏃 The Legend Grows: Courtney Dauwalter of the USA kicked off her ultra season by wining The North Face Transgrancanaria 126km (78 miles) in 15:14:54. A demanding and mountainous course by her own account, Dauwalter adds another to her trophy case. Raul Butaci (Romania) took the men’s win in 13:22:32. [irunfar]

🏊🚴🏃 Aussie Party in New Zealand: Though hometown favorite Hayden Wilde (NZ) was expected to take the win, it was the Aussies who stole the show at Napier World Triathlon Cup. Both Sophie Linn (AUS) won by 6 seconds and Callum McClusky (AUS) beat Wilde by 8 seconds. For McClusky, it was the first win of his career. [Triathlon]

🏊🚴🏃 IRONMAN Returns: Staying in New Zealand, this weekend marks the 40th running of IRONMAN New Zealand, and the start list looks strong with Chelsea Sodaro, Jocelyn McCauley, and Els Visser leading the way for the women, and Mike Phillips, and Braden Currie for the men; each having won the event previously. [Ironman]

Highlighting the Elite

Profiling those at the top of their sport

Who is Courtney Dauwalter? With a smile as contagious as her love for distance, the 39-year old is recognized not only for blistering times but also for her signature baggy shorts, slightly oversized t-shirt, and wayfarer style sunglasses. Whether you’re not into the Ultra scene or just don’t know the name, Courney Dauwalter is most certainly the 👸🏻 of ultrarunning.

Hailing from Minnesota where she was a four-time Minnesota state champion in Nordic skiing during her high school career, Dauwalter would go on to attend the University of Denver on a cross-country skiing scholarship. Finishing with a teaching degree, she’d be a middle and high school biology teacher in the Denver area. Like many of us, Dauwalter split her time between running and teaching. Unlike most of us, her results surged, and by 2014, she was dominating, winning seven major 50-mile, 100-mile, or 24-hour races that year. Finally, going pro in 2017.

Not only has Dauwalter won the hardest races in the world, but she’s absolutely dominated them. Now 39 years old, she kicked off her 2024 campaign by winning The North Face Transgrancanaria 126km (78 miles). In 2023, Daulwalter completed what some refer to as the ‘Triple Crown’ of ultrarunning by winning Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (September), Hardrock 100 (July), and Western States 100 (June) – a feat never before achieved. She also holds the course record for each event.

But that was just this last week and this past summer. Dauwalter has dominated women’s ultra-running for over a decade. She hasn’t been beaten by a female runner since 2019. In 2017, during the Moab 240, a savage 238-mile slog through the deserts of Utah, she obliterated the field – men and women – beating her nearest rival, Sean Nakamura, by 10 hours. She’s won, set course records and has changed expectations about what is possible in the sport.

So what’s her secret. A regimented training program and monitoring everything she does and eats. Nope. It’s all for the love of a sport thats given her so much.

Dauwalter still approaches her sport with a carefree attitude. She drinks beer and eats pizza, loves sweets and cheese quesadillas. She usually averages around 100 miles per week but doesn’t follow a regimented training routine.

I’ll just head out in the morning and run however far I feel. I want to eat and drink what sounds good. I want to hang with family and friends, and I want to sign up for these 100 or 200-mile races and push myself as hard as I can.”

Quotes in this profile can be found here [BBC]

More Top Stories

*MUST READ* 🏃 From addiction to the Olympic Trials: The life story of Austin, TX based runner Mitch Ammons and his life changing move out of addiction to the Olympic trials and everything before and in between. [Runner’s World]

🚴 The team rider who wasn’t: Bizarre story from the world of pro cycling as one team dressed up a mechanic in their team kit, covered her face with a mask on the pretence that she was sick, and sent her to the podium for sign-on. Spoiler alert. It’s not gone well for the team. [GCN]

🏃 Six Lessons from a First-Time UltraMarathoner: One author reflects on his 11 hour and 51 minute, 50 miler. [Ultra Running]

🏊 9 Best Swim Fins for a Stronger Kick and Faster Swimming: For anyone who struggles in the pool, take a peak at these. [SwimSwam]

The Rewatchables

Content for long training days inside or just everyday life.

Chase the Storm // Sub 9:00 Leadville 100 MTB: TRACK: CrossFit world champion Rich Froning chases a new high and takes on his next big challenge; tackling the Leadville 100 MTB in under 9 hours.

Inside Norseman | Wouldn’t be fun to do it alone: Called by many as the toughest full distance triathlon on the planet and the Xtreme Triathlon World Championships; relive the brutal elements during the epic course and stunning landscapes of Norway through the eyes of Lars Wichert and Stefan Kramer.

Racing Tahoe | Ultramarathon Documentary: Sally McRae takes on her second 200 mile race with the goal to put herself out there for a podium spot. This film chronicles the peaks and valleys to that commitment, but will it be enough.