Tara Dower, internationally acclaimed ultrarunner (who holds the fastest time overall on the 2,197 mile Appalachian Trail among several other prestigious race wins and trail records), is set to debut in the 200-mile racing distance on Friday, September 26, 2025, at theMAMMOTH. This is the inaugural year for the event, which is organized by the increasingly popular Mammoth Trail Fest, held in Mammoth Lakes, CA, the week prior. All photos: Shreiner Trail Photography.
The 2024 event drew over 2,000 runners from twenty-two countries and forty states (read more about the event here). theMAMMOTH currently has 136 entrants, with top names to watch including Dower, Jeff Browning (2022 Moab 240 Champion and multiple-time top ten recipient in Ultra Runner of the Year rankings by Ultrarunning Magazine), Timothy Olsen (former record holder of the Pacific Crest Trail and two-time winner of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run), and Rachel Entrekin (2025 High Lonesome 100 and Cocodona 250 Champion).
Dower aims to use the strengths she’s gained from her experience setting records on her multi-day (or even multi-week) runs, as well as her skills from her diverse running wins at distances from marathons to 100-miles, to tackle this new challenge. While Dower has no time-goal in mind for her first 200 mile race, she aims to put herself in contention for an overall win.
Why theMAMMOTH?
Entering its fourth year in 2025, the Mammoth Trail Fest is quickly becoming one of the most popular trail racing events in the American trail running scene—theMAMMOTH 200 is on track to add even more excitement to the festival’s reputation. The Mammoth Trail Fest draws top athletes from around the world (the event took part in the highly competitive Golden Trail Series in 2023), as well as large crowds of recreational trail runners.
The organization’s community-driven, inclusive feel has created a unique experience that attracts all types of runners—Dower included, “This race fit nicely into my fall racing schedule, but also I felt very ready to race again after a disappointing performance at the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run earlier this summer,” said Dower. An unfortunate sickness led to a DNF (did not finish) at the highly competitive Western States 100 Mile Endurance run earlier in the summer. Dower is ready for redemption.
The course for theMAMMOTH couldn’t be a more epic stage for Dower to challenge herself again. Runners follow a 214-mile loop to and from the mountain town of Mammoth Lakes, CA, situated in the heart of the Eastern Sierra Mountains. The race organization website states about the race, “This breathtaking loop connects small mountain communities while circumnavigating a 760,000 year old caldera. Your route will take you along pristine alpine lakes, abandoned mines, golden fall foliage, and dense pine forests before heading into the remote beauty of the Glass Mountains…The race is bookended with summits of Mammoth Mountain, offering unreal 360° views from 11,053 feet of your entire journey.”
Curious to know more about the course? Watch a course preview video with race director of the Mammoth Trail Fest and co-director of theMAMMOTH, Tim Tollefson, and professional Nike Trail Runner Sally McRae here.
High and lows of the pros
Dower stole the world’s attention when she became the “Queen” of the Appalachian Trail in September 2024—setting a fastest known time that bested legends including Scott Jurek, Karl Meltzer (aka, the Speedgoat), Jennifer Pharr Davis, and the previously most current record holder Karel Sabbe. She lowered Sabbe’s record by nearly an entire day with her time of forty days eighteen hours and five minutes. That is an average of fifty-five miles per day!
In 2025, Dower again stole headlines with her impressive record on the Long Trail in Vermont. She covered the technical 273-mile distance with over 68,000 feet of elevation gain in three days eighteen hours and thirty minutes. This was nearly two days faster than the previous women’s record set in 2018 by Alyssa Godesky and two and a half hours faster than the top male time held by Will Petersen.
But similar to any athlete, Dower hasn’t been without her struggles. In between these two great FKT successes, Dower experienced a serious low. She DNFed at the 2025 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, and it was largely out of her control, “I had a huge obstacle at Western States being as sick as I was. I knew the week before that it wasn’t going to go the way I wanted but I needed to go out there and give it my all.” Dower’s illness took a turn for the worse in the race, “It was way harder to deal with than I expected. I was pooping my pants, throwing up from non-stop coughing, and watching blood coming out of places blood shouldn’t be coming out of.”
While Dower’s health quickly returned to normal, her inability to compete in the epic Western States 100 showdown against some of the best ultrarunners in the sport stuck with her, “Not being able to compete really bothered me. That’s why I feel so aggressive with competing again right now. I need to satisfy that by racing people. As far as competition goes at Mammoth, everyone out there is competition…nobody is safe.”
Long Trail to Mammoth momentum
After completing the Vermont Long Trail on August 19, 2025, one might expect Dower to be still recovering—not gearing up to tackle another 200-plus mile run at theMAMMOTH. “I came off the Long Trail feeling great with no injuries. Obviously, there is some fatigue but I’ve been listening to my body. I know my body will know what to do when we get to race day, I just need to recover and it will all come together.”
Dower has been pleased with the way her body has allowed her to train. She’s been incorporating speed work, long runs with climbing and faster-paced pick-ups, sauna sweats and working out in the gym. “After Western States, I feel like I really plummeted to the bottom. I’m excited to have found my momentum again. I’m going to keep working hard and we’ll see what I can do.”
Champion crew
Dower credits her crew as a central part of getting the most out of herself, whether that be in her record-setting FKT runs or race wins. In 200-mile racing, there are countless reasons to have an efficient, well-experienced crew (read our 200-mile racing tips article here). The crew can assist in managing logistics, nutrition/hydration advice, motivation, sleep deprivation and elevates the runner’s race experience into a team versus individual effort. Dower speaks on the crew challenges of the MAMMOTH, “This race is going to be extremely demanding on the crew and pacers. Making sure everyone is clear with their sections and making sure they have everything they need to take care of themselves and know where to go will be key. I like to prepare as much as possible so the experience is less taxing on the crew. With a happy crew and good people around you, the race becomes so much easier.”
While close friends are typically Dower’s most frequently called on pacers, she is adding a couple professional runners to the mix for her Mammoth crew. Rod Farvard, 2024 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run runner-up, and Sierra DeGroff, 2023 USATF 100-mile and 24-hour National Champion, will be aiding Dower through the race at theMAMMOTH.
To FKT or race?
Dower, similar to many top ultrarunners, are balancing their draws to both Fastest Known Times (FKTs…learn more about FKTs in our FKT 101 article here) and racing. For Dower, there are unique benefits she gains from both experiences. She first explains her love for FKTs, “I do FKTs purely because I’m curious. I loved the Appalachian Trail and I wanted to go out there and put myself in a place I loved and see what my body could do.” For races, it’s a different mindset, “My races are led by my competitiveness. For instance, my goal next year is to earn a spot back in Western States and to raise my level there.”
Dower reflects on her love of both FKTs and racing, “I definitely have a heart for both. I love the competitiveness of races, but I just will continue to be drawn to simply existing on trails and it will always be part of my life.”
Long, longer or longest…pace still matters most
Whether Dower is pushing over fifty-five miles per day on the Appalachian Trail, averaging nearly 20,000 feet of elevation gain per day on the Long Trail, or cruising to a 50-mile victory at the Lake Sonoma 50-Mile competition seven-and-a-half hours, she has learned that pacing is the key to successful racing at any distance. Dower shares how dialing in her pacing strategy will be key to theMAMMOTH, “The most important thing for me to focus on during the race will be my pacing. I’ve learned so much about keeping consistent and not burning up too.” In line with her strategy to hold a steady pace, Dower plans not to sleep for the entire race.
Lows are the highs
In a race as extreme as theMAMMOTH, every runner is sure to encounter low-points. But ower’s secret for handling these tough moments is not what one might expect: to embrace them as “fun.” She continues on this idea, “Lows are fun because you’ve been working so hard to get to that point. The fact that I can actually reach my lows is really affirming to all of the effort I’m putting into the experience.”
Entering a race as challenging as theMAMMOTH, Dower is optimistic from her experience that whatever lows she encounters will eventually get better, “I know from my past experiences in the FKT and racing world that it’s going to get better. In these moments, I remind myself that I’ve reached my limits and can calm down and work through them. Always keep the hope that it will get better and never gaslight yourself by saying it’s going to stay consistently bad.”
Stay tuned for Dower’s race on Friday September 26, 2025. Livestream content from the race will be provided by the Mountain Outpost (which will be linked to the race website here).
In addition to racing at theMAMMOTH, Dower is also signed up for Javelina Jundred — a qualifier race for the 2026 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run.
