“We don’t just see Cocodona as a race, it is a proving ground for the best of the human spirit.” —Steven Aderholt, race director of the Cocodona 250.
Since its inception in 2021, the Cocodona 250 has become one of the most iconic 200-plus mile ultramarathons in America. “At the inaugural race, we had 176 people line up in Deep Canyon Ranch in the shadow of the saguaro’s in the pre-dawn hours and you could just feel that something big was happening,” says race director Steven Aderholt. He continues, “I still have folks come up to me when they see my Cocodona gear in airports or other places to tell me they ran Cocodona ‘the hard year.’ We had no idea how difficult that first section would be, how cold it would get overnight, how far that journey actually would take everyone.”
In 2026, this event is on track to expand its reputation as one of the most competitive, highly viewed and engaging events in the country of this style and distance. Erika Snyder, Cocodona 250 assistant race director said about the event’s momentum building from 2025 to 2026, “As the race ended last year, you could feel the excitement building. We have hit our stride and are heading towards maturity as a race. Things are dialed in, people are watching, the whole trail world is glued to Cocodona.” From May 4 to 9, 2026, the trail running world will be eagerly following not only one of the country’s toughest footraces, but arguably the most competitive 200-mile race in the history of the sport.
Watch the 2025 Cocodona 250 livestream on the Mountain Outpost YouTube playlist here.
New shoes on the block
“Unleashing human potential by inspiring the world to move naturally.” — Altra Running website
While the Cocodona 250 has grown and changed each year, 2026 marks yet another major shift as Altra Running becomes the event’s title sponsor. “While we’ve been cooking on Cocodona, Altra has been taking the running world to the next level as well—literally from the ground up,” said Snyder. She continues, “Altra’s shoes are a natural fit for our runners. They need something that works with the body, not something trying to change the natural movement patterns. So—enter Altra. A shoe meant to keep your feet and body healthy over the longest distance. A company that cares deeply for the community and supports the same values as Cocodona—bringing more women to the start line (we have a large percentage of female runners and that percentage keeps growing) partnering with native running communities, supporting the protection of public land for ourselves and future generations, creating a green race. When Altra approached Cocodona to become our presenting partner, it didn’t feel like a discussion as much as a match already made.”
Altra has been a consistent leader in trail running, sponsoring popular race series and some of the best athletes in the sport including Tara Dower (read our article on Dower here) and Hans Troyer (read about Troyer’s historic win at the JFK 50 Mile race here).
In the following Q/A style interview, Colby Gould, Altra Running’s athlete manager, shares insights into this new partnership with the Cocodona 250. Gould discusses the brand’s investment in the rapidly expanding 200-mile racing scene, Cocodona’s unprecedented livestream/media coverage growth, Altra athlete strategies at the race, and future of the Cocodona and Altra Running partnership.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] How has Altra already been involved in the 200-mile racing scene and why are 200 plus mile races an important sector/style of trail running to highlight in the wide world of trail racing?
[COLBY GOULD] Altra has always been a brand known for pushing boundaries, being scrappy, and staying out there. We’ve had athletes like Jeff Browning, Kyle Curtin, and Tara Dower toe the line at major 200+ milers over the past several years, and our partnership with Cocodona is a natural extension of the spirit of the brand.
200-mile races have broken into mainstream consciousness over the last few years, and captured the public’s imagination as a representation of just how far the human body (and mind) can go. They take the concept of breaking through perceived limitations to a whole new level. We’re excited to be a part of the conversation and ultrarunning’s development as races like Cocodona continue to grow in both participation and notoriety, and help inspire runners and nonrunners alike to set the bar higher than they ever thought possible.
[TAYTE] What trends are you seeing in athlete racing interests? Are more people interested in racing longer? How does the shoe design team respond to these needs?
[COLBY] The most exciting thing about the growth we are seeing right now is that it’s not constrained to one arena. Seth Lareau published a great piece https://trailwaves.substack.com/p/the-state-of-ultrarunning-in-three on Substack diving into some key statistics that outline how trail—specifically ultrarunning— has seen sustained post-pandemic growth. We’re noticing growth across the distance spectrum, and Cocodona is leading the way in the 200-mile category.
In terms of shoe design, we have many innovative projects coming from our product team over the next year that have been specifically informed by insights we’ve collected from our experiences at ultrarunning events and what runners need in order to keep their bodies moving well over such long distances.
[TAYTE] The Cocodona 250 live stream is one of the most fun and iconic parts about the Cocodona race week. Altra is taking over the live stream this year. What are the core elements of the live stream you plan to keep the same and also hope to improve?
[COLBY] We aim to be additive to the whole Cocodona experience as it currently exists, not detractive. This means we have no intention of taking away from the raw, rugged, grassroots spirit of Cocodona that comes through in the livestream. We have some ideas of ways we’d like to build on the livestream, of course, but we’ll ultimately let the experts run the show! You’ll mainly see us out on the course finding new ways to engage with crews and support teams, in addition to the athletes themselves.
[TAYTE] Cocodona has always been a leader in the sport with its branding. What kind of presentation is Altra going for with Cocodona? Overall, what is the experience you hope those who attend (or watch) the event will come away with?
[COLBY] We are taking a very symbiotic approach to branding. The goal here, as I’ll reiterate, is to be additive rather than detractive to the Cocodona spirit and experience. We will bring subtle elements of our own branding to the race, but let the legacy of Cocodona take the reins. Altra doesn’t see Cocodona as something that needs fixing or improving, because the event has seen so much success as it has organically grown over the years.
Our partnership with the race only aims to enhance what the Cocodona community has already created. We do intend to provide a strong foundation for runners and crews all throughout the race, and bolster the sense of community engagement and support that participants come away with.
While so much of this race does come down to individual grit, we want runners to feel rejuvenated at each aid station so they can carry that energy with them through each next section. We’ll pour our resources into supporting them physically, mentally, and emotionally at these checkpoints especially.
[TAYTE] Which Altra athletes will be training for Cocodona this year? Have you heard from any of them about how their training is going or what their goals are?
[COLBY] We’ll have a good chunk of our Elite team out on course racing, pacing, crewing, or jumping on the livestream! The roster of Altra athletes lining up to race this year is still in development at this time, but we’ll be excited to share more about their goals and preparations as plans solidify.
[TAYTE] How will Altra as a brand be there for its athletes and support them during the race? As a team, what is the general strategy going into the competition?
[COLBY] Crewing, pacing, cheering, you name it! A race like this requires tons of logistics, and we help the athletes however best fits with their plans. As I mentioned above, our goal is to add to everyone’s experience rather than drastically change or detract from it. It’s their race, and we’re here to help them have the experience they are looking for. Our job is to learn from our runners as they build out their plans and communicate with their crews along the way so we can support their individual needs.
[TAYTE] As athlete manager, what do you look for in an Altra athlete? Will you be keeping your eyes open at Cocodona for potential new athletes?
[COLBY] We look for standout athletes who are also community builders. We also prioritize the kind of scrappiness, toughness, grittiness—whatever you want to call it— that comes with crossing the finish line covered in mud, blood, cactus spines, puke, and most importantly, a smile, because they’ve left it all out there. That’s what passion looks like to us. It’s messy, it’s raw, and it’s honest. Cocodona brings out these qualities in runners, because a race like this can’t help but strip you down to the core. So in that sense, it’s the ideal setting for us to be looking out for future Altra athletes.
[TAYTE] Looking to the future, what is Altra’s investment in the Cocodona 250? What do you envision Cocodona looking like five to ten years in the future?
[COLBY] We’re going into this partnership with the intention to make it a long-term commitment. We have a multi-year roadmap planned, and we will continue to look for ways to elevate our contributions to the race as it grows. For instance, Aravaipa has goals for increasing runner accessibility that we would love to partner with them on, such as expansions to their scholarship program and land stewardship initiatives to ensure we are taking care of the natural resources that Cocodona relies on.
From an internal standpoint, we are incredibly excited about the next few years of partnering with Cocodona because we’re going through a period of rapid growth in the same way that Cocodona is. We’ll ideally grow alongside one another and work together to emphasize the values that we share in the trail space, ensuring that we both stay true to the tenants that make this community so special even as it expands and develops.
[TAYTE] What do you think those who don’t know about Cocodona should know most about it? Why are so many athletes drawn to race or watch it?
[COLBY] Cocodona takes the spirit of adventure that people associate with ultras and takes it to the next level. In mainstream consciousness, that’s mind-blowing to begin with. Most laymen who follow the race as it unfolds will come away simultaneously baffled and motivated to tackle their own impossible dreams, whether or not that involves running 250 miles through the Arizona desert. Those within the ultra community appreciate the unique combination of fitness and tactics that it takes to complete a race like Cocodona. You can’t just be a strong runner, nor can you just be a smart runner. You need both skill sets in order to succeed here, and it’s fascinating to learn how different runners strike the balance.
