Joyce Njeru and Elhousine Elazzaoui win mountain running World Cup event in California on Sunday

Broken Arrow weekend always delivers dramatic racing, but 2025 delivered more drama than usual. After an Ascent Race affected by high winds on Friday, an unexpected snowstorm blew through the valley on Saturday, resulting in the 46km race being stopped midway through for many of the runners. So it was with some relief that conditions stabilised enough for the 23km Skyrace to go ahead as planned on Sunday.

The weather was perfect for the race, with blue skies and cool temperatures but the residual snow on the ground was a reminder that things looked very different in Palisades Tahoe the day earlier. Many of the athletes had raced the Ascent on Friday, so it was going to be interesting to see whether those who focussed on one race would have a little more in the tank when it got difficult.

Starting in the town and heading out on a broad path, the early part of the race is the most runnable. For the first 6km the runners ascend slowly on a good trail, before the course hits some singletrack and begins to kick up through the woods. The first big climb takes the runners to Snow King, the first aid station, then the second summit of KT22. After that there’s some respite with some downhill and a more gentle uphill, but then the hard work really begins with a brutal climb, involving exposed rock, a ladder and some snow steps before the runners finally reach the highest point of the course at Siberia aid station. But the runners cannot take their foot off the gas for the long descent that follows. It’s mostly very fast but technical in sections, with a high level of concentration needed. Aside from one short but sharp climb out of Shirley Canyon, it’s pretty much all downhill in the second half of the race, leading to some very fast miles and exciting racing.

23km Skyrace – women

The women set off 20 minutes ahead of the men and, as expected, it was a fast start. It took a couple of kilometres for the lead group to emerge and it was defending champion Joyce Njeru (Nnormal), Madalina Florea (Scott), Lauren Gregory (Nike), Anna Gibson (Brooks), Jade Belzberg (Altra), Lara Hamilton (The Trail Team) and Alice Gaggi (Brooks). In these early stages Allie McLaughlin (HOKA) and Sydney Petersen also remained in contact, a little way behind.

As they hit the singletrack this group began to break up more and Njeru led, with Florea right on her heels, Gregory and Gibson formed the lead group. When they hit Snow King at about 8km Njeru and Florea had opened a 30 second gap on Gibson and Gregory, with Marie Nivet and Gaggi just behind them.

This pattern continued on the long climb, and it increasingly looked as though either Njeru or Florea would be on the top step of the podium. Florea’s climbing was relentless, barely breaking into a power hike, but it looked like it would all be decided on the downhill. By Siberia aid station Gibson was a minute behind. Could she catch them?

They really attacked the downhill and it was also looking as though the course record (Sophia Laukli 2:06:18) was definitely under threat. Njeru opened a gap of a few seconds on Florea, but then Gibson started to close the gap and appeared behind them. Gregory remained around two minutes behind. It was all going to come down to the runners’ downhill ability.

Njeru continued to stretch the gap little by little and while Florea was only around 30 seconds behind, it began to look unlikely that Njeru could be caught. She blazed into Palisades Tahoe to win and defend her title, destroying the course record in the process with a time of 2:01:16. Florea took second in 2:02:03 and Gibson third in 2:03:46. All three runners beat the previous course record, just demonstrating the competitive level of the race this year. Gregory was fourth and Gaggi fifth, in times which would usually win.

23km Skyrace – men

The men also started incredibly quickly and it was no surprise to see Friday’s Ascent winner, Christian Allen (Nike), leading the runners out in a characteristically aggressive fashion. Philemon Kiriago (Run2gether) led the chase and young German Lukas Ehrle (ASICS) surprised a few people by being in this group too. Would this be a breakthrough performance for him? Also present in the chasing group were Elhousine Elazzaoui (Nnormal), Cam Smith (Dynafit), who finished in third in the

Ascent, defending champion Patrick Kipngeno (Run2gether), Taylor Stack (Brooks) and Andy Wacker (The Trail Team). Also in contention was young American talent Mason Coppi.

It wasn’t long before the furious early pace led to a breakaway group led by Allen and Kiriago, with Elazzaoui, Ehrle and Kipngeno just behind. This was the order when they reached Snow King, with Coppi and Stack 50 seconds behind this leading group. But by the time they reached KT22 Kipngeno had stamped his authority on the climbing and now led with team mate Kiriago and Elazzaoui. Allen was now 16 seconds behind them, with Ehrle just behind him.

This leading three remained intact at Siberia, with a gap of 30 seconds now to Allen and Ehrle. But, with the long downhill coming, this was Elazzaoui’s wheelhouse. But he bided his time and we saw the lead change hands between Kiriago and Kipngeno, with Elazzaoui sitting ominously on their shoulders. At this point Allen’s leg speed (he is a 2:10 marathon runner) really kicked in and he began to catch up. With a couple of kilometres to go it could have been any of this top five who came through to win.

It was no surprise when Elazzaoui finally made his move and he wouldn’t be caught, winning in a course record of 1:43:53, although Kiriago chased him in an exciting sprint finish and took second in 1.43.57. Kipngeno rounded out the men’s podium (with all three beating the previous course record) in 1.44.11. Allen was fourth in 1.44.46 and Ehrle fifth in 1.45.19, in what was an unbelievably close men’s top five.

Next the World Cup heads to China for the first time for Chongli Mountain and Trail
Running Festival on July 5-6.

Full results here.