For Kenyan Philemon Kiriago, everything is about improvement from the past, and he’s hoping for big results at both the Ascent and 23k at the Broken Arrow Skyrace. In this interview, he talks about his winter training in Kenya; his approach to running of letting things in the past, both good and bad, be in the past; and how he’s looking forward to racing against a deep field this year. Also, lost luggage!
For more on who’s racing, check out our in-depth Ascent and 23k previews and follow our live race coverage of the Ascent on Friday and the 23k on Sunday.
[Editor’s Note: If you are unable to see the video above, click here to access it.]
Philemon Kiriago Pre-2025 Broken Arrow Skyrace Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar. I’m with Philemon Kiriago. It’s a couple of days before the Broken Arrow Skyrace Ascent and 23k. Welcome to America. You’re here.
Philemon Kiriago: Yeah. Thank you so much. Yeah. I’m here. Ready for the Broken Arrow to see if we have improved from the last year.
iRunFar: Yeah. You have made it to America, off the airplane yesterday, but your luggage is not here.
Kiriago: Yes. Of course. You know, when we are traveling, we have several challenges, but thank goodness we have the running kit and running shoes. We are ready for tomorrow and ready for Sunday.
iRunFar: So who knows what you’ll be wearing, but you do have your shoes?
Kiriago: Sorry?
iRunFar: Because your luggage isn’t here at least you have your shoes, but you may not have your running kit.
Kiriago: We have the shoes and the running kit.
iRunFar: Okay. You do?
Kiriago: Yes.
iRunFar: Okay. Just no comfy clothes or other clothes?
Kiriago: Yeah. We have only the last bullet. We shall say it’s the last bullet for the soldiers.
iRunFar: I really hope your luggage comes.
Kiriago: Yeah. We think so.
iRunFar: What’s it like being here in America? You have traveled to a lot of different races in the last couple years. Even in just the last couple months, you’ve been to China, Japan, I think Italy.
Kiriago: Yes.
iRunFar: And now America. You are a true globe traveler now.
Kiriago: Yes of course. Aside of traveler, I’m also hardworking runner. For myself, I usually learn from my colleagues, which motivate me, say that, “Dream big,” and “Forget what you have done yesterday. Focus for today.”
iRunFar: I like that. Put away what has happened and focus on now.
Kiriago: Yes. Yeah. Of course, from behind I’ve run good, now I’ve forgotten. Now I’m focusing for tomorrow, which can make me to be better.
iRunFar: I love that. When we spoke to you at the Mountain Running World Cup Finals in Italy last fall, you talked about how afterward you would go home to Kenya and train fast and flat over the winter and then not add vertical to your training till the spring. Did you go home to Kenya this winter?
Kiriago: Yes. Of course. You know, when I was in Kenya, sometimes in Kenya we don’t have winter. That’s the period we usually train.
iRunFar: Okay.
Kiriago: I do interact with my colleagues in the camp. We are a big group. We learn together.
iRunFar: Okay.
Kiriago: We have road racers. We have field and we have mountains. So I usually interact with each group to see that if I improve my speed and running style.
iRunFar: So you’ve been training flat, fast, and vertical over the winter?
Kiriago: Yes, of course. Yeah.
iRunFar: Okay, yeah. So you’re ready for the vertical this weekend?
Kiriago: Yes of course. And I’ve heard that it’s somewhat shorter. So tomorrow I will try to look for followers for the start because it’s only 3.5.
iRunFar: Yeah.
Kiriago: It’s very short. Less than thirty minutes to be done.
iRunFar: Very quick. Twenty-something minutes and it’s done. Yeah. So the race just announced that tomorrow, the Ascent course will be shortened because of high winds up on the tops of the mountains. And you said, this is better for me. The shorter it is, the better you’ll do.
Kiriago: I think so.
iRunFar: Yeah. Here in America, the Ascent this year is a very competitive race because it’s our qualifier for Team USA to be at the World Championships, the Mountain Running World Championships this fall in September. So I think the level of men from here in America will be higher tomorrow than in past years. Are you seeing the American competition come out? Does that not matter to you, or what do you think about that?
Kiriago: For me, I’m glad to hear that because if I face the challenges, that’s the moment I will know where am I. If tomorrow, it might be difficult or it can be easy to me. We usually learn like top runners. Today’s your day. Tomorrow is for another day or person. But hopefully, it’s going to be my day. Yeah.
iRunFar: Yeah. In the Mountain Running World Cup as well as Golden Trail World Series, you already have a high ranking. I think you’re near the top of both, second place in both.
Kiriago: Yeah.
iRunFar: Last year you did very well in both series as well. Is your goal to try to reach higher on the series podiums, or what are you thinking about sort of season long, all year long?
Kiriago: For sure last year, I was better, hoping that I was running good, but I didn’t run good. Because if I missed the podium, I said that I didn’t run good. Because last year, overall more than three series, I was person four. And the overall Golden World Cup, also I was person four.
iRunFar: You were three or four at World Cup?
Kiriago: Three.
iRunFar: I think three. Yeah.
Kiriago: Three. Yeah. Three. I did better.
iRunFar: So podium. [laughs]
Kiriago: Yeah. That’s, I did better. Now I’m focusing to improve because, previously I told you, we should have big dreams every day. We forget for the last year. Now we are of last year with big dreams.
iRunFar: Is that sort of like a Kenyan thing to try to like, is that a cultural thing of where you’re from and where you were raised, to try to put away the past and focus more on the present?
Kiriago: Yes, of course. When I usually follow some histories of top runners like Faith Kipyegon, they usually say, they started running several years behind. They won gold. They won Olympics. They won the silvers, but they forget about it. Now they are on present activities. Also, for me, I forget that I run last week. I run last year. Now I’m here as a new member looking for today, to make today to be better so that I will be somewhere.
iRunFar: I love that. Best of luck to you tomorrow at the Ascent and Sunday at the 23k, and may each day be better for you.
Kiriago: Yeah. Thank you so much.
iRunFar: Thank you.
Kiriago: Yeah. Thank you so much.
