Broken Arrow 2026: Kiriago Smashes the 23K Record as Gibson Wins the Ascent
TL;DR — From June 19 to 21, 2026, the Broken Arrow Skyrace at Palisades Tahoe, California, hosted two stages of the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup. On Friday's pure climb, USA's Anna Gibson broke the course record and Kenya's Patrick Kipngeno won. On Sunday's 23K, Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (Kenya) shattered the course record in 1:42:59 and Romania's Madalina Florea dominated the women's race in 2:02:18.
In just a few years, the Broken Arrow Skyrace has become one of the deepest fields in world mountain running. The setting: Palisades Tahoe, in California's Sierra Nevada — the resort that hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics. Altitude, steep grades, technical singletrack and exposed ridgelines: it has everything to punish your legs. In 2026, two of the weekend's races counted toward the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup, drawing a chunk of the global elite.
The ascent: Gibson breaks the record, Kipngeno reigns
On Friday, June 19, the ascent opened the weekend: 5.8 km with 865 m of vertical gain and no descent at all. You climb, and you stop at the top.
In the women's race, USA's Anna Gibson and Kenya's Joyce Muthoni Njeru, the course record-holder, traded blows. Njeru moved ahead at halfway, but Gibson came back on the final, near-unrunnable scramble to win by 8 seconds in 43:15, beating the old course record by almost two minutes. Tabor Hemming completed the podium. Good news for the French camp: Nélie Clément grabbed a strong 5th place in 46:21.
The men's race was remarkably tight — less than a minute covering the top five. Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) won in 37:59, ahead of Cameron Smith (38:10) and Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (38:22), with defending champion Christian Allen 4th (38:29) and Brayan Rodríguez Flores 5th (38:51). Making his elite mountain debut, Canadian marathoner Rory Linkletter (2:06:04 at Boston in April) took a creditable 14th in 41:02.
The 23K: Kiriago makes history
On Sunday, June 21, in unusual heat (around 30°C), the 23K delivered the weekend's headline. Philemon Ombogo Kiriago led almost from gun to tape, holding off repeated attacks from Morocco's Elhousine Elazzaoui, the course record-holder. In the final kilometre the Kenyan held firm to win in 1:42:59, taking 54 seconds off the course record (1:43:53, set by Elazzaoui in 2025). Elazzaoui was 2nd in 1:43:12 — also inside the old mark. Kipngeno, already the ascent winner, completed the podium in 1:44:34.
In the women's race, Romania's Madalina Florea and course record-holder Joyce Muthoni Njeru ran together for a long time before Florea broke clear on the climb to High Camp. She won in 2:02:18, one of the fastest performances in the event's history. Lauren Gregory closed strongly for 2nd (2:03:56), just ahead of Muthoni Njeru (2:03:59) and Tabor Hemming on the same time. Nienke Brinkman rounded out the top five.
The heat, the great equalizer
The weekend ran hot at Palisades Tahoe, with temperatures up to around 30°C. On short but explosive formats, heat management mattered: athletes had to ration early ambition on the climbs to avoid blowing up on the technical descents. A reminder that, even over 23 km, the environment is a competitor in its own right.
Why this race speaks to every runner
Skyracing is a study in contrasts: distances sometimes shorter than a half marathon, but with climbing that turns every kilometre into a maximal effort. You don't need world-class times to get something out of it — the mountains reward consistency, terrain reading and patience, all trainable at any level. And the calendar stays hot: the WMRA World Cup rolls on to the Grossglockner Mountain Run on July 5, and this very weekend, the same Palisades Tahoe hosts a very different beast, the storied Western States 100. Thinking of hitting the trails yourself? Our guide to preparing for your first trail is built for exactly that.
Training for your next trail or mountain race? BPMoov gathers race registrations for road and trail events across France and Europe — free, on iOS and Android. → Download BPMoov.
FAQ
Who won the 2026 Broken Arrow Skyrace?
In the 23K, Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (Kenya) won the men's race in 1:42:59, a new course record, and Madalina Florea (Romania) won the women's race in 2:02:18. In the ascent, Patrick Kipngeno and Anna Gibson took the wins.
What is the Broken Arrow 23K course record?
As of June 21, 2026, it is 1:42:59, set by Philemon Ombogo Kiriago. It erases the previous mark of 1:43:53 held by Elhousine Elazzaoui since 2025.
Where is the Broken Arrow Skyrace held?
At Palisades Tahoe (formerly Squaw Valley) in California's Sierra Nevada — the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics.
What is the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup?
It's an international mountain-running circuit run under the World Mountain Running Association. Broken Arrow hosts two of its stages (the ascent and the 23K); the series then heads to the Grossglockner Mountain Run on July 5.
Did any French runner shine at Broken Arrow 2026?
Yes: Nélie Clément took 5th in the women's ascent in 46:21, in a very deep international field.
What's the difference between the ascent and the 23K?
The ascent is a short, pure climb (5.8 km, 865 m of gain, no descent): you run uphill to the finish. The 23K is a full skyrace, with climbs, technical descents and ridgelines, over a distance close to a half marathon but far more demanding.