Ultramarathon legend Courtney Dauwalter is heading back to her roots. The Hopkins, Minn. native, now based in Leadville, Colo., has announced she will race the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis on Oct. 5, 2025, as part of the Best of the Midwest Invitational. This special race-within-a-race features 16 elite runners with ties to Midwestern states, competing for a dedicated prize purse of $20,000, in addition to the overall professional prize purse of $26,000 per gender.
From trails to pavement
Dauwalter is well-known for her dominance in ultra-distance races, including multiple victories at the Western States 100 (WSER) and Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB). However, this marks her return to road racing after decades away. Dauwalter ran the Twin Cities Marathon in 2009 and again in 2012 alongside her brothers. “In 2009, I signed up for the Twin Cities Marathon because I couldn’t believe that people ran 26.2 miles with their feet. It sounded impossible, and I had to find out if I could do it as well,” Dauwalter shared on Instagram. “I ended up surviving and loved it! I also ran it in 2012 side-by-side with my two brothers. That was a really special day together. I can’t wait to come back this year!”
Look back at UTMB 2025
At this year’s UTMB, just weeks ago, the three-time winner landed 10th in the women’s standings—a rare sight for fans used to seeing her lead the pack. But as she posted on Instagram, the experience was about much more than placing. “While my legs gave out and left the party early, there were a million reasons to keep taking another step forward. Family & friends. Love and high fives and hugs…Getting to this finish line might be one of my most treasured memories.”
An exciting switch
“Training for a faster, shorter road race than my typical races will definitely add a new challenge to the puzzle for me,” Dauwalter shared. “I’m excited to play around with the pieces to see if I can take what I’ve learned from training for 100-mile trail races into road marathon training.”
The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon will be held on Oct. 5, 2025. Learn more here.
