As far as superlatives go, there’s little hand wringing about Salomon Athlete Courtney Dauwalter’s standing as one of the best ultrarunners in the world, period. In a sport known for its fickleness, she’s been outright untouchable on the trails for the past two years, riding a 15-race win streak that dates back all the way to 2021 and includes dominant victories on stages such as UTMB (where she set a new female course record in 2021) and Hardrock 100. Matt Mitchell recently sat down with Courtney to try and get a sense for how she conceives of running as something that can be taken lightly but practiced seriously. Along the way, they also map the interior of her pain cave, the mental space she occupies when things get dark deep in a race; discuss what does and does not belong on top of nachos; talk bowhunting; and a whole lot more.TOPICS & TIMESCourtney’s background

How Nordic skiing translates to trail running

What guides her training philosophy

Skiing at the University of Denver

14er first date

Moving to Leadville, CO

Training for Transgrancanaria this winter

Transitioning to running full-time

The pain cave

Running by feel instead of numbers

Nachos & balloon hunting

Doubling up at Western States & Hardrock 100