It was a dream for Romania’s Mădălina Florea to win the 2026 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k. In this interview, our first with Mǎdǎlina, she shares her running background and passion for fishing, how she came to Olympic Valley, California, early to acclimate, how the race played out from her perspective, and her post-race culinary plans in the U.S.
To see more about how the race unfolded, be sure to check out our 2026 Broken Arrow 23k results article.
[Editor’s Note: If you are unable to see the video above, click here to access it.]
Mădălina Florea, 2026 Broken Arrow 23k Champion, Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Eszter Horanyi with iRunFar. I’m here with Mădălina Florea. We are the day of the Broken Arrow 23k, and you were the women’s champion. How does that feel?
Mădălina Florea: Already I was asked myself what should I tell to you if you put me this question. But I want to ask you, if you are instead of me, how you celebrate, how you can explain yourself? Because all the work, what we do until to arrive at this podium, it’s sometime pressure, stress, everything. But I say since one month ago almost, because I want to find myself, to have pleasure when I go in the mountain because this happened. When you go in the mountain, you have pleasure, you have joy. So when you arrive at the finish line, and you did it, you don’t know how you explain all the emotion and all the work, what you was done to arrive there. So if you are instead of me, what you will do it? How you celebrate?
iRunFar: Well, I don’t know how I’d celebrate. I’d buy myself a really nice dinner.
Florea: Ah, okay. I can do this.
iRunFar: What are you going to do for dinner tonight?
Florea: So, I want to play a little bit. I say I want to go in all the country and to test the dessert. But I think here in America, the burger, it’s even dessert. So I think I will enjoy it.
iRunFar: Burger, fries, a pickle?
Florea: Everything, everything.
iRunFar: Okay.
Florea: I don’t have any excuse now. I thank you for my body, but yes, I need to enjoy beside my life. So, yes, of course, the burger can be a good menu in this night to celebrate.
iRunFar: Sure. I love that that’s the American … Like when you come to America, that’s what you want. Burger, that’s the classic.
Florea: I think I cannot miss it.
iRunFar: You can also try hot dog. Hot dogs are very American.
Florea: I will try everything. Now, I need to put back the calories, so I’m open for everything.
iRunFar: Okay. How long are you in the States? How long is this culinary…
Florea: So last year, I arrive here with 10 days before the race. So I was new, because I need more time to adapt the altitude. So I felt it was not enough, 10 days, last year. So this year I want to have a great race. And of course my main goal, it is to have pleasure in all what I do. So I need to ask myself, “Okay, what is good? What is not good?” So in the end, I was decide with my team and with my coach to arrive here three weeks before the race. So I have time to enjoy the mountain here every day. And it’s a very beautiful and amazing place.
iRunFar: Yeah. Have you been in Olympic Valley the whole three weeks?
Florea: Yes, exactly there, behind. [Points to hotel] I always have the beautiful view every day in front of me, and to have a good motivation when I wake up to enjoy this mountain.
iRunFar: Yes. And it is a very, very beautiful place.
Florea: Yes. I can say, it’s a very good train, to say as a base or training camp here, because you have even the flat part closer to the lake where it’s amazing. So this maybe, I can do it. I go to fish. I love to fish. I was enjoy beside the river. When I was go to run, I say, “Okay, I need to finish my run. Okay. Maybe when I finish my run, I can go to enjoy.” So if I want to do something beside and to relax, I would love to go to enjoy fishing.
iRunFar: You should get a little raft, and float down the river and go fishing.
Florea: I’m not that passion, to say that to love that much until I don’t touch the ground or … I have little bit afraid by the water, but maybe it’s just in my mind, then why not? I like to be crazy and to enjoy all the shit stuff to say. I’m ready because I need to let the kids from my inside to enjoy everything. Yes. Because we never know what will happen in the next few seconds.
iRunFar: So this is your first interview with iRunFar. Before we go into today’s race, I want to talk about today’s race too, but a little bit about your background. Because you come from a road running background when you were younger. How did you find trails? What’s the path to here?
Florea: Yes. So it’s a good question. Not all the time I like to talk about myself. But at one point the people, they need to know who it is behind the bib number because nobody … They see just the two hour or three hour, how it is the race, but the world that is behind and everyone who it is behind is just little bit. So I was start running just because I was kids with a lot of energy, to say, and I was not with the talent. Because for example, I would start with gymnast for a year, but was nothing for me, was zero to say talent. But I just want to go to enjoy everything and to know all the sports, what we have in this world, because it’s nice to have experience and memories for the life what you have.
So I will start with gymnast, then athletics, but wherever the trail running was a switch after running on the trail … Oh, on the road and track with an injury because was broken my tendon heel. And then was the worst moment to say in my life, because I was not thinking I’m able to come back. And when I come back, I was come with something what looks like you cannot expect to go there because normally it’s very dangerous. So to say trail, it’s technical, you can fall. I fall, I get up, and I feel much better now enjoying this life with these amazing people, what they create trail running, to don’t have sometimes words to explain. Just to go for one part to another, to try to share everything. Yes.
iRunFar: So I feel like 2025 was a breakthrough year for you. You won the Golden Trail World Series. You came here, you finished second to Joyce [Njeru]. What happened last year? Tell me about your year last year.
Florea: Already I say, because I was arrive just with 10 days, I knew because I need sometime more adaptation for the altitude because here is not the real competitor or physical, is the altitude. The best competitor, what can change everything in few seconds. So I say, I want to give for my body the pleasure. So I need three weeks minimum to spend here to really be able to enjoy the place where I go to run. So I say, “Okay, let’s do it.”
iRunFar: So this year you’re acclimated, you’re ready to go. What were you thinking on that start line?
Florea: I’m not thinking just for the … I enjoy the moment, but I’m not have the vision, just what I will do today or just tomorrow. I’m thinking for all my career. So I don’t want to run just today or tomorrow. And if I look a little bit back … Okay, I don’t want to tell about my results, but if I look a little bit back since ’23, I’m almost there all the time between the athletes. So being there, you need to listen to your body. So what is good and what is not good?
So to be there, you need to have a good plan. Not to think just I go, I win, and that’s it and let’s enjoy it. No, let’s ask yourself, “What is good?” So step by step, I was create my plan to arrive here and to think what is coming next because it’s not finished the year. Still I have a lot of races, and the most important it is to don’t be injured. So, yes.
iRunFar: So today it seems like Joyce took it out pretty quick, and you were on her tail, which is sort of similar to what happened last year. Can you walk me through that first uphill of the race? How did that first hour play out?
Florea: You know what, when I’m on the start line, I’m not thinking who is running. I’m thinking about myself. So all the time to say the best competitor, it’s who it is inside me. Because if me, I have a good day, I will have a good race. So I check, of course, the watch to see because the altitude, of course, sometimes the heart rate is going high, but I was trained on this course, so I always knew how high I can go. So my main competitor was myself. I was not go to follow the others, I was follow my feelings.
So step by step, I was catch woman and, “I’m good, I’m good. Let’s go. Let’s enjoy. Let’s go.” Try to find maybe the next step, what you will do. So in the end, at the bottom of the … to start the downhill, of course I was look back, I was sad because Joyce is closer, but I was, knew the training, what I was done the previous days. So I say, “Okay, I think maybe it’s time for me today.” I was ask a little bit myself and then step by step, I was enjoying the trail, my mind was very focused.
So I say, “If it’s my day, will be my day. If no, that’s it.” Me, I see my businesswoman Joyce, because we have a good friendship. So even if she beat me today again, I was not disappointed. Because you don’t need to be happy just when you win or finish first or second. You need to enjoy all the journey to arrive until there.
iRunFar: So what was it like, because you trailed Joyce for much of it, when you passed her? Did you interact with her at all? Did you say anything?
Florea: We was interact I think almost all the part since we was together because after the point of the uphill, we was together and then her was asking me, “Do you want to pass?” I say, “Still, I’m not feel good. I have little bit problem on the stomach, but if you can go, I can appreciate, because you try to manage the race.” So then when we was arriving the last, last uphill before to start the downhill, I was going in front of her and say, “Come on, girl.” And then I say, “Oops, it’s not coming.”
So I hope she don’t have something … I don’t wish for nobody to have pain or to feel suffering because it’s not good. And I say, “I hope she will keep up until to the end because I know it’s very strong and was show for everyone. If you can finish 10 and still have a big smile on your face, and this is what we need to have all the time. Doesn’t care about you finish first or 10. So then I was no, because I’m on the great way, so I was enjoying more the trail to go until to the end.
iRunFar: Yeah. And then crossing that finish line, knowing you were the winner, what were those emotions?
Florea: I don’t know. When you cross the finish line, you don’t know how to explain yourself. I want to cry because I’m very emotional person, what I show until now, but in the same time I want to yell. I want to do the Ahhhhh. I want to do it like this, “I’m here, I’m Mădălina. I was enjoying today. Thank you for everyone.” To feel grateful, but you don’t know at that moment how to enjoy it.
iRunFar: Yeah. I think it was an amazing run. It was super fun to watch, and congratulations on your win.
Florea: I was seeing that iRunFar. Me too. I want to run very far to have the best experience in the end when I say stop my career, to say I was really enjoyed not feeling just pain.
iRunFar: Yes.
Florea: And I want to run far.
iRunFar: You want to run far, and you want to feel good doing it.
Florea: Yes.
iRunFar: Well, it seems like you accomplished that very, very well today.
Florea: Thank you.
iRunFar: You ran far, you ran fast, and based on how you’re smiling now, it seems like you had an amazing day out there. So congratulations on your win at the Broken Arrow 23k, and we will see you down the road.
Florea: Ah, yes, of course. Thank you so much. Thank you for everyone. Thank you because you take time to really want to understand who is behind the bib number, and thank you for this amazing time. Short, but maybe we can have time after to talk more.
iRunFar: Yes. And in the future.
Florea: Ah, yes, of course. I want to be in the next 50 years still running if I can. You see me in the mountain. Until I feel happiness, it’s okay. When it’s not happy, I will try to do my best.
iRunFar: Sounds great.
Florea: Thank you so much.
