WEEKEND RECAP: Courtney Dauwalter and Joe McConaughy conquer the Arizona desert

What an absolute week of grit! This year’s Cocodona 250 brought unforgettable team efforts and historic finishes. Courtney Dauwalter returned to settle some "unfinished business," fighting through brutal lows to secure an incredible 2nd Place finish under last year's course record. Alongside her, Joe "Stringbean" McConaughy delivered his own masterclass in resilience, crossing his third Cocodona finish line in 61 hours while balancing life as a new parent.

Running 250 miles means executing a flawless, multi-day fueling strategy. Here is how our athletes made it to Flagstaff.

The Strategy of Performance: Courtney’s Unfinished Business

Photo : Alexis Jay Adrian

After a tough DNF at mile 108 last year, Courtney’s primary goal this time around was to perfect her nutrition and write a new ending. Mission accomplished.

"For all the things that didn’t go quite right during this race, I am really excited about how my nutrition went. Our plan included tons of Boost gels, waffles, purées, hash browns, and pizza. Boost gels were still going down easy in the last 10 miles of the race!"

• Mindset Over Matter: Battling severe sleep deprivation and lung issues during a brutal second night, keeping her stomach happy allowed Courtney to maintain a positive mental state and keep moving forward.

• The Menu: Her plan leaned heavily into a reliable base of Näak BOOST™ gels, paired with real-food favorites like waffles, pizza, and hot coffee or Coke to keep her gut moving.

• The Reward: With her stomach behaving perfectly from start to finish, she celebrated her silver medal with a well-deserved post-race pizza.

The Strategy of Performance: Joe’s 15k Calorie Masterclass

Photo : Alexis Jay Adrian

Joe relied on a precise mix of Näak ULTRA™ and BOOST™ products to accumulate a staggering 15,000 calories across 61 hours of racing.

• The Calorie Strategy: Joe front-loaded his race, averaging 400 calories/h on day one before settling into a sustainable 200–300 calories/h for the final 48 hours to prevent his stomach from shutting down.

• The Palate Fix: When solid food felt impossible, the Banana-Pear and Apple Purées went down effortlessly, while Watermelon and Salted Cucumber Drink Mixes kept his tastebuds alive through Sedona.

• The Overnight Pivot: Joe used Chocolate Caffeine Gels to smash through sleep deprivation and maintain sharp focus during the freezing night sections.

• The Sodium Lesson: Joe targeted 600–800mg of sodium/h. His pro-takeaway? Watch the overnight fluid volume. Relying too much on liquid mixes during the cold nights over-hydrated his system and slightly diluted his salt intake: a golden insight he’s saving for his next start.

The Plan of Nutrition: Cocodona 250 in Details

Photos : Alexis Jay Adrian