PRESCOTT, Ariz. (AP) — A participant in a grueling 250-mile (402-kilometer) ultramarathon on trails across northern Arizona died Tuesday after experiencing a medical emergency, race organizers and local law enforcement said.
First responders attended to a woman in her 40s who was participating in the race and collapsed at a trailhead in the Groom Creek community south of Prescott, Yavapai County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Paul Wick said on Wednesday.
Cocodona 250 ultramarathon codirector Erika Snyder confirmed the death and declined to provide further details at the request of the runner's relatives.
Ultramarathons can test the boundaries of human endurance, but deaths are very rare relative to the total number of participants in a sport that has in recent years grown in popularity around the world, with races hosted from Death Valley to the Himalayas.
The Cocodona is one of the toughest ultramarathons in the U.S., featuring a course that rises more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) in elevation — twice — while passing through Sedona from its start in Black Canyon City.
This year's race started Monday before dawn, and the overall winner, Rachel Entrekin, finished Wednesday afternoon to a roaring crowd in Flagstaff while setting a course record.
Organizers say they're moving to a lottery registration system next year because of the race's popularity.
Aid stations provide opportunities to eat, hydrate and adjust equipment, with a team of medical professional stationed across the course, Snyder said. Racers often nap on the ground along the way in a race that can last five days.
In 2021, freezing rain and high winds were linked to the deaths of 21 runners at an ultramarathon through mountains in northwestern China.
A banner for the Cocodona 250 ultramarathon hangs in downtown Flagstaff, Ariz., on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Cheyanne Mumphrey)
A crowd gathers to watch runners finish the Cocodona 250 ultramarathon in downtown Flagstaff, Ariz., on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Cheyanne Mumphrey)
Titleholder Paris Saint-Germain will take on Arsenal in the 2026 Champions League final.
PSG eliminated Bayern Munich in the semifinals following a 1-1 draw on Wednesday to book its place in the showpiece event at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary on May 30.
Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé fired PSG ahead in the third minute following a swift counterattack led by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Harry Kane equalized for Bayern in stoppage time but PSG advanced 6-5 on aggregate after winning a pulsating first leg 5-4.
Arsenal overcame Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate in its semifinal.
Here's what to know about the Champions League final.
Kickoff time on May 30 has been brought forward to 1700 GMT, having traditionally been played at 2000 GMT. Governing body UEFA said the decision for an earlier kickoff was to enhance the matchday experience for fans and to optimize logistics such as public transport in Budapest.
American rock band The Killers will be performing on the night. In recent years, Linkin Park and Lenny Kravitz have headlined.
Arsenal is in the final for the first time since 2006. It is only its second time in the final and it has never won European club soccer's top competition, having lost to Barcelona 20 years ago. Mikel Arteta's team was beaten in last year's semifinals by PSG, which beat Inter Milan 5-0 in the final to lift the trophy for the first time.
Since the tournament was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992-93, only Real Madrid has retained the title, winning three times in succession from 2016-18. PSG lost the 2020 final to Bayern.
The 67,000-seat stadium was opened in 2019 and built on the same site as the previous Ferenc Puskas Stadion — named after the Hungarian and Real Madrid icon, who won three European Cups as a player.
2025 PSG
2024 Real Madrid
2023 Manchester City
2022 Real Madrid
2021 Chelsea
15 Real Madrid
7 AC Milan
6 Bayern Munich, Liverpool
5 Barcelona
4 Ajax
3 Manchester United, Inter Milan
The 2027 final will be staged at Atletico Madrid's stadium the Estadio Metropolitano. It is the second time it has held the final, having staged the 2019 showdown between Liverpool and Tottenham. The city of Madrid has hosted the final on five previous occasions.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
PSG's goalkeeper Matvey Safonov fails to stop a goal by Bayern's Harry Kane during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
PSG's Ousmane Dembele, background left, scores the opening goal of his team during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
PSG's Ousmane Dembele celebrates after scoring their first goal during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)
Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, center, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during a Champions League semifinal, second leg, soccer match between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid in London, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (John Walton/PA via AP)
Arsenal supporters celebrate at the the end of a Champions League semifinal, second leg, soccer match between Arsenal FC and Atletico Madrid in London, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Referee Danny Makkelie holds the match ball during a Champions League semifinal, first leg, soccer match between Atletico Madrid and Arsenal in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
