Courtney Dauwalter reflects on Colorado Trail FKT attempt that ended in hospital as the ‘highlight of the summer’

The elite ultra runner contracts bronchitis and lands in ER but that does not detract from the incredible mountain experience

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Courtney Dauwalter on the Colorado Trail, at a cross roads deciding to go east or west. Photo: Instagram/@courtneydauwalter

Published: 8:00am, 21 Aug 2020Updated: 8:00am, 21 Aug 2020

Ultra running superstar Courtney Dauwalter was 497km into the 782km long Colorado Trail when her crew pulled her from her “Fastest Known Time” (FKT) attempt. The runner had been wheezing since day one and now could barely sleep.

“Early on, my breathing was off. I was wheezing. I was coughing up productive coughs,” Dauwalter, 35 said.

“I knew my lungs weren’t 100 per cent in the game. But I thought it was just part of it. I was running a long way, and so I didn't expect everything to feel wonderful the whole time. I wasn't paying it too much attention. But it all just started getting worse over the four and a half days of running.”

Her crew monitored her and when she tried to catch two hours of sleep the wheezing was so bad she was unable to rest. So, they told her it was time to go to the ER.

“I told them before, I knew my brain would go crazy during this, so I 100 per cent default to those guys and trust their choices. When they said that was the choice, so I said ‘OK, you guys know best’,” said Tailwind Nutrition athlete Dauwalter.

“But even as we went to the ER, I thought there was a chance the doctors would say that it was fine and I could go back to the trail and keep running. Having a crew like that is so important and I'm so thankful they were aware and made the right call.”