Meet Nikki LaRochelle

Nikki LaRochelle is a ski mountaineering racer and ultra runner based in Colorado. Her passion for endurance sports really took form after moving to Breckenridge in 2008, where she embraced mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and ski mountaineering (skimo) racing.

In 2016, Nikki earned a spot on the US Ski Mountaineering National Team, representing the U.S. at the 2017 ISMF World Championships in Tambre, Italy. She requalified in 2018 and competed at the 2019 World Championships in Villars, Switzerland. Also in 2018, Nikki placed third at the High Lonesome 100 running race. Balancing racing with a full-time job and raising her first daughter, born in 2015, added an extra layer of challenge to her achievements—a testament to what parent athletes can do with the proper amount of determination. In 2022, Nikki went back to the High Lonesome 100, besting her previous time by two hours and did this after having her second daughter in 2021. 

Today, Nikki continues to compete in domestic skimo racing while also pursuing ultra running and mountain bike racing during the summer. Her true passion, however, lies in personal projects, such as long, technical ridge traverses and high alpine loops. A highlight of her endeavors was completing the Mosquito/Ten Mile Range traverse in 2018—the longest, highest continuous ridge in the continental U.S., with the majority of this line being above 13,000 feet in elevation. For Nikki, these efforts are as rewarding as any race.

Beyond her personal pursuits, Nikki is deeply committed to coaching. She currently works with USA Skimo, helping train national team athletes and youth racers as the organization prepares to send American athletes to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy. It is at these Olympic games where ski mountaineering racing will make its Olympic debut.

Nikki also very much enjoys coaching athletes with Evoke Endurance. She is interested in working with athletes of all levels—from those competing on the World Cup circuit to those training for their first 10k. She approaches coaching with enthusiasm, emphasizing consistent effort and collaboration. She values fostering a coach-athlete relationship tailored to each individual’s needs and thrives on celebrating progress and accomplishments, no matter the scale. Dedicated to her athletes’ success, Nikki is both a strategic mentor and their biggest cheerleader.