Joyce Njeru (pre-race and post-race interviews) of Kenya and Elhousine Elazzaoui (pre-race and post-race interviews) of Morocco won the 2025 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k. For Njeru, it was a repeat win after dominating in 2024 too. She led all of the race’s downhill second half. Men’s winner Elazzaoui used his downhill speed to pull away from the Kenyan pair of Philemon Kiriago (pre-race interview) and Patrick Kipngeno (pre-race interview) in the final downhill mile.
The Sunday, June 22, 23-kilometer (14 miles) race was the highlight of the three-day event. The race was part of both the Mountain Running World Cup and the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) and was held on a single-lap course, climbing to a high point around kilometer 12, before rocketing downhill to the finish.
There was prize money of almost $24,000 split between the top 10, with $3,473 going to the winners.
Thanks to the World Mountain Running Association for supporting iRunFar’s 2025 Broken Arrow Skyrace coverage.
Broken Arrow 23k Women’s Race
The elite women’s race started 20 minutes before the men, and all eyes were on Broken Arrow Skyrace Ascent winner Anna Gibson (pre-race interview), 2024 GTWS breakout star Lauren Gregory, defending race champ Joyce Njeru of Kenya (pre-race and post-race interviews), and GTWS series regular Mădălina Florea (Romania).
The elite women’s start at the 2025 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Two days after taking second in the Ascent, Njeru stretched the field out early. Florea, Gibson, and Gregory followed in that order a few seconds behind as the lead four hit the 10-minute mark and turned onto singletrack trail. Just three minutes after that turn, Njeru stepped aside to nudge Florea into the lead, and the four bunched up again.
Thirty minutes in, as the group exited the trees and started climbing, Florea and Njeru had dropped the two Americans, and Njeru had put a few feet on Florea, too, regaining the lead. Florea leapfrogged Njeru again as the pitch steepened, but the two basically stayed together all the way to the course high point, with Florea, Njeru, and third-place Gregory keeping a running stride, and further back, Gibson broke into a powerhike while in fourth. Gibson’s hike was as fast as Gregory’s run at this point.
Anna Gibson racing the 2025 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
At the 7.4-kilometer Snow King aid station, Florea and Njeru led Gregory and Gibson by 40 seconds.
Njeru and Florea stayed together at the KT aid station 9.6 kilometers in, and Gibson led Gregory by 19 seconds. Further back, Marie Nivet (France) and Alice Gaggi (Italy) stayed in contention.
A few seconds here, a few seconds there, some hiking and some running, the gap and order between Florea and Njeru came and went, but the two were again together at the course high point, 2,700 meters above sea level and 76 minutes into the race. Gibson and Gregory were still third and fourth, but now one and two minutes behind the leaders.
When the course turned downhill, Njeru dropped in first, and with 11 downhill kilometers to go, made her bid for the win. She led Florea by eight seconds at the 17-kilometer High Camp aid station. Gibson and Gregory were still third and fourth. And that order stuck the rest of the way.
Joyce Njeru, on her way to winning the 2025 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
After a sixth-place finish and two drops in three of the year’s first GTWS races, Njeru earned her first win of the year. Her 2:01:16 time bettered her 2:11:52 finish from last year, and beat Sophia Laukli’s 2:06:18 course record from 2022 also.
Florea, Gibson, and Gregory came in at second, third, and fourth — in 2:02:03, 2:03:46, and 2:06:02, respectively — and all beat the former course record too.
Mădălina Florea, the 2025 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k second woman. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Broken Arrow 23k Women’s Results
- Joyce Njeru (Kenya) – 2:01:16 (pre-race and post-race interviews)
- Mădălina Florea (Romania) – 2:02:03
- Anna Gibson – 2:03:46 (pre-race interview)
- Lauren Gregory – 2:06:02
- Alice Gaggi (Italy) – 2:08:23
- Marie Nivet (France) – 2:08:53
- Jade Belzberg (Canada) – 2:09:06
- Allie McLaughlin – 2:09:54 (pre-race interview)
- Alexa Aragon – 2:11:24
- Sydney Petersen – 2:14:20
- Lara Hamilton (Australia) – 2:14:27
- Geneviève Lalonde (Canada) – 2:16:57
- Kyla Christopher-Moody – 2:17:36
- Kristina Mascarenas – 2:18:13
- Amanda Basham – 2:20:28
- Hillary Allen – 2:21:23
- Alicia Vargo – 2:23:03
- Emily Clarke – 2:25:05
- Abby Stone – 2:26:02
- Laurel Moyer – 2:26:07
- Oakley Olson – 2:26:33
Broken Arrow 23k Men’s Race
It was the first time this year that Patrick Kipngeno of Kenya (pre-race interview) and Elhousine Elazzaoui of Morocco (pre-race and post-race interviews) had raced head to head. Kipngeno won here last year and won the year’s first two Golden Trail World Series races, but he couldn’t beat Elazzaoui late last year. Kipngeno’s a great climber, Elazzaoui’s an amazing downhiller, and Elazzaoui has a lethal late-race kick too. Rémi Bonnet of Switzerland, the 2023 GTWS overall winner, was a late scratch with injury.
The 2025 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k men’s start. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Christian Allen, the Ascent winner two days earlier, overtook the sprinters for the early lead with Kenyan Philemon Kiriago (pre-race interview) giving the closest chase as the front two turned onto the singletrack trail. Kiriago, better known as a downhiller, was seventh in the Ascent. Just 20 years old, and just a month after a 28:40 10,000-meter track finish, Lukas Ehrle (Germany), Ascent third-placer Cam Smith, Taylor Stack, and Mason Coppi were all in the mix. Race favorites Kipngeno and Elazzaoui were a few seconds and a few places further back.
Kiriago passed Allen 25 minutes into the race and, after a cautious start, Elazzaoui and Kipngeno joined Kiriago and Allen at the front. Ehrle was there too, making a lead group of five. Elazzaoui’s spot in the lead climbing group looked dangerous for everyone else with the downhill second half to come.
Patrick Kipngeno leads Elhousine Elazzaoui and Philemon Kiriago with five kilometers to go. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Allen and Ehrle fell out of the lead group at the high point, 11 kilometers in. Kiriago, Kipngeno, and Elazzoui were still there. Kipngeno, the 2023 World Mountain Uphill world champion, was in the middle of two superior downhillers. He was at first immediately dropped when the race turned down, but then in a déjà vu moment from last year’s Mammoth Trailfest, Kipngeno surprised to regain the lead group just a couple of minutes later. Allen lurked only 31 seconds back in fourth at the 17-kilometer High Camp aid.
Not at all unexpected, Elazzaoui sprinted to the lead 1:40 into the race. Kiriago chased, but Kipngeno couldn’t match the downhill pace. Four seconds was the lead at the finish, with Elazzaoui leading Kiriago in at 1:43:53 to 1:43:57.
Kipngeno held onto third in 1:44:11, and Allen stayed in fourth at 1:44:46 at the finish.
The top five men all beat Kipngeno’s course record from last year.
Philemon Kiriago, the 2025 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k second place man. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Broken Arrow 23k Men’s Results
- Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) – 1:43:53 (pre-race and post-race interviews)
- Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 1:43:57 (pre-race interview)
- Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 1:44:11 (pre-race interview)
- Christian Allen – 1:44:46 (post-2025 Broken Arrow Ascent interview)
- Lukas Ehrle (Germany) – 1:45:19
- Taylor Stack – 1:46:11
- Cam Smith – 1:46:25
- Mason Coppi – 1:47:32
- Andy Wacker – 1:51:19
- Remi Leroux (Canada) – 1:52:51
- Hawk Call – 1:54:33
- Sam Chelanga – 1:55:08
- Grant Colligan – 1:55:30
- Jeret Gillingham – 1:56:49
- Charlie Hamilton (Australia) – 1:57:04
- Ali Papillon – 1:58:33
- Henri Aymonod (Italy) – 1:59:45
- Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) – 2:00:23
- Benjamin Townsend – 2:00:58
- Josh Eberly – 2:01:03
Patrick Kipngeno takes third at the 2025 Broken Arrow Skyrace. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
