Broken Arrow Skyrace race guide

The races

Broken Arrow is spread over a long weekend. In 2026 the Ascent, the 18K and the Iron Face Challenge ran on Friday, the 46K and 11K on Saturday, and the 23K on Sunday. Courses change slightly each year depending on the snow.

How to get a bib

There is no lottery and no qualifier. Registration opens at a set time on UltraSignup, and the race says it is common for every distance to sell out that day. The 23K is the most popular. For 2027, registration opens at 9 a.m. Pacific on Monday 7 December 2026. Runners holding partial credits from a withdrawal usually get early access in the second half of November.

After it sells out there is a free waiting list, with most invitations sent in April and May. You have 48 hours to accept. A few bibs may be available on race day, depending on no-shows, for an extra fee.

• How race entry systems work

The course

Races start in the Village at about 6,200 feet. The 23K begins with the fastest and most runnable section of the race: just over 3 miles on the Western States Trail. It then climbs Snow King, crosses Red Dog Ridge with views of Lake Tahoe, wraps behind KT-22 and climbs to the top of the Headwall lift.

An exposed rocky ridge leads to the Stairway to Heaven, a ladder to the high point at about 9,000 feet on Washeshu Peak. You need a free hand for it, so know how to stow your poles. The descent into Shirley Canyon is always the snowiest part of the course. After a last climb to High Camp, the route drops down the Thunder Mountain single-track to finish at the KT Sun Deck. The 46K runs this loop twice.

• Choose trekking poles

Aid and timing points on the 46K

The 46K is two laps. Crews are allowed only at the halfway point in the Village, which is also where drop bags go. Aid stations stock Neversecond gels and Tailwind, and in hot years the KT-22 station is a basic stop with only ice, water and gels.

These are the 2026 timing points for the 46K, which is two laps of a loop close to the 23K course. The race page text gives slightly different mileages, and no intermediate cutoffs are published. The Village at halfway is the only crew point and has drop bags. Source: official race website, checked 19 October 2026.

Rules

• Poles are allowed and strongly encouraged, but if you start with them you must carry them to the finish. They are discouraged on the Iron Face Challenge.
• Pacers are not allowed at any distance.
• Outside help anywhere except the 46K crew area means disqualification. Course cutting, including switchbacks, is banned.
• The race recommends a vest, high-traction shoes, sun protection, a whistle, a phone, at least 16 oz of water and 400 kcal of gels, plus a waterproof shell and warm layers for cold weather. It can require an adverse-weather kit for the 46K.
• All distances are subject to anti-doping testing, and the Ascent and 23K follow World Athletics rules as World Cup races.

Results and records

Broken Arrow draws a world-class elite field, and in 2026 it paid $150,000 in prize money, with $30,000 to each 23K winner. That year Philemon Kiriago of Kenya won the 23K in a course record 1:42:59, and Mădălina Florea of Romania won the women's race in 2:02:18. Eli Hemming won the 46K for the second year running.

Source: official race website, checked 19 October 2026.

History

Brendan Madigan, Ethan Veneklasen and Geoff Quine launched Broken Arrow in 2016, inspired by European mountain races such as Sierre-Zinal and Zegama. After the first race, runners including Max King called it the hardest event of its type in North America. The long race was a 52K until 2022 and has been a 46K since 2023.

It began on the US Skyrunner Series and has since been a stop on the World Mountain Running Association World Cup, and in 2025 on the Golden Trail World Series. It is not a Western States qualifier or Golden Ticket race, even though Western States starts from the same village a week later.

Training for Broken Arrow

This is steep racing at altitude. Practise long climbs and descents, hiking efficiently with poles, and moving confidently on rocky, exposed ground. If you can, find some late-season snow to run on. Coming from sea level, arriving a few days early gives your body time to adjust to racing above 8,000 feet.

• Follow the 50K training plan

Getting there and watching

Palisades Tahoe is off Highway 89 between Truckee and Tahoe City, about 42 miles from Reno and 96 from Sacramento. Reno-Tahoe is the nearest airport. Amtrak and Greyhound reach Truckee, and free TART buses run locally. The race arranges discounts at several hotels in the valley.

In 2026 spectators could ride the Aerial Tram to High Camp for free during set morning windows and cheer at the Julia Millon Memorial aid station at 8,200 feet. The Ascent and 23K were livestreamed.

Running for good at Broken Arrow

The race gives part of its proceeds to local groups each year. Past recipients include the Julia R. Millon Scholarship Fund, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, the Nomadic Adventure Club and the Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe. More than 75 elite runners stay with local families.

Its Inclusivity Initiative, launched in 2024, gives free entries, early access and travel support to BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and nonbinary run clubs, and an adaptive athletes programme guarantees 20 places in the 18K. There is a nonbinary division with prize money, a pregnancy deferral for both parents, and reusable cups for every runner.

• How to volunteer at an ultra

Questions people ask