This Week In Running: June 22, 2026

The Broken Arrow Skyrace dominated the weekend’s racing, but there was also competitive racing from Arizona to Zugspitz.

You can also check out our race coverage from the weekend:

• 2026 Broken Arrow Skyrace Ascent Results: Anna Gibson and Patrick Kipngeno Win Again
• 2026 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k Results: Philemon Kiriago and Mădălina Florea Win $30k Prize

Broken Arrow Skyrace – Olympic Valley, California

The long weekend event featured three very competitive races — the Ascent, 46k, and 23k — across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, along with other races each day. Both the Ascent and the 23k were part of the Mountain Running World Cup, and the Ascent was also the U.S. Mountain Running Championships Uphill race. There was a lot of prize money too! The Ascent had a $28,200 purse with $6,000 to the winners. The 46k winners earned $4,000 each, and the 23k winners each won a giant $30,000 first-place prize.

Ascent

Only Anna Gibson and Joyce Njeru (Kenya) had won the Broken Arrow Ascent for the last three years, and that rivalry kept going for a fourth year! Gibson led early, but Njeru swung into the lead at the race’s 25-minute mark, where it flattened out and even went downhill for a bit. Gibson clung to Njeru, and they were on the race’s final Stairway to Heaven ladder section together before Gibson powered past Njeru at the very end to win the race in 43:15. Njeru was second in 43:23, and Tabor Hemming was third in 44:55.

The women’s top five was:

1. Anna Gibson – 43:15
2. Joyce Njeru (Kenya) – 43:23
3. Tabor Hemming – 44:55
4. Milaina Almonte – 45:59
5. Nélie Clément (France) – 46:21

An ankle injury slowed the start of the season for Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya), but the race’s 2024 winner was again the class of the field. He started patiently, gained the lead 15 minutes into the race, and ran alone at the front the rest of the way. Kipngeno won in 37:59. Cam Smith overtook early leader Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) late in the race to finish second in 38:10, and Kiriago was third in 38:22.

The men’s top five was:

1. Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 37:59
2. Cam Smith – 38:10
3. Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 38:22
4. Christian Allen – 38:29
5. Brayan Rodríguez (Mexico) – 38:51

46k

Dani Moreno, the 2025 third-place finisher, came back strong to win this year’s race in 4:48. It is the race’s fourth-fastest time ever, trailing only last year’s top three finish times. Sarah Carter scored a second-place finish in 4:52, and Rachel Drake was third in 5:02.

The women’s top five was:

1. Dani Moreno – 4:48:48
2. Sarah Carter – 4:52:33
3. Rachel Drake – 5:02:00
4. Kim Schreiber (Germany) – 5:03:05
5. Robyn Lesh – 5:04:40

Eli Hemming repeated as men’s winner. He rang the finish-line bell in 3:58. He was over 10 minutes better than everyone else, but didn’t reach his 3:50 course record time from 2025. Noah Williams moved up from fourth a year ago to finish second, and just held off a fast-closing Cole Campbell. Both Williams and Campbell finished in 4:09 and were only 25 seconds apart.

The men’s top five was:

1. Eli Hemming – 3:58:01
2. Noah Williams – 4:09:02
3. Cole Campbell – 4:09:27
4. Chad Hall – 4:17:01
5. Koken Ogasawara (Japan) – 4:22:14

23k

A year after finishing second, Mădălina Florea (Romania) took control in the race’s downhill second half. She won, and took home $30,000, in 2:02. It was a minute off two-time defending champ Joyce Njeru’s course record run from a year ago.

Njeru, who was in first or second for almost all of the race, was caught late by a fast-closing Lauren Gregory.

Gregory got to second in 2:03, three seconds better than third-place Njeru. Fourth-place Tabor Hemming caught Njeru at the line for an identical 2:03:59 finish, too, though Njeru was declared the third-place finisher.

The women’s top five was:

1. Mădălina Florea (Romania) – 2:02:18
2. Lauren Gregory – 2:03:56
3. Joyce Njeru (Kenya) – 2:03:59
4. Tabor Hemming – 2:03:59
5. Nienke Brinkman (The Netherlands) – 2:04:45

The men’s race looked a lot like top sub-ultra races involving Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) and Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco), until it didn’t.

Kiriago, second a year ago, went to a big early lead. Elazzaoui, first a year ago, caught him before the top of the uphill, stayed behind him for a lot of the race, and then took the lead late. Kiriago still had some run in his legs though and sprinted to the ultimate lead. Both broke Elazzaoui’s year-old course record. Kiriago won in 1:42 and Elazzaoui was 13 seconds behind in second at 1:43. Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya), who won the Broken Arrow Ascent two days earlier, was third in 1:44.

The men’s top five was:

1. Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 1:42:59
2. Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) – 1:43:12
3. Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 1:44:34
4. Brayan Rodríguez (Mexico) – 1:47:25
5. Taylor Stack – 1:48:48

18k

This one went on Friday, at just over 11 miles, with 3,750 feet of climbing. Race winners Monica Adams and Tyler Green finished in 2:07 and 1:37, respectively.

Iron Face Challenge 

The Friday race was just over five miles in distance, but on the area’s most extreme terrain with via ferrata sections. Area locals Amber Weibel and Abram Greenspan won in 67:15 and 59:11.

11k

The Saturday race was a single 6.6-mile loop with almost 2,000 feet of climbing, and Brin Strouse and Kanoa Blake won in 60:04 and 51:22.

Full results.

Zugspitz Ultra Trail by UTMB – Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

The big event had multiple race distances and more than 5,000 runners around Germany’s biggest mountain. High temperatures and the potential for lightning forced course and start-time changes, resulting in shorter distances in many races.

Joanna Tallmann (Germany) and Tobias Fritz (Germany) won the long course ZUT100 in 14:26 and 12:04. The rerouted race was 66 miles with over 17,000 feet of climbing.

The host country took the top podium spots in the 46-mile Ultratrail, too. Rosanna Buchauer and Manuel Hartweg won in 7:25 and 7:07.

Ida Sophie Hegemann (Germany) and Tomáš Hudec (Czech Republic) were first in the Ehrwald Trail 46-mile race in 8:07 and 7:03. It appears the Ultratrail and weather-shortened Ehrwald Trail courses were identical, but were run with a 30-minute starting time difference.

The original course stuck for the Leutasch Trail 42 miler, and Miria Meinheit (Germany) and Sven Koch (Germany) were the fastest in 7:15 and 5:55.

Full results.

Montane Summer Spine Race – Pennine Way, United Kingdom

Just like the winter version, the event’s summer edition went 268 miles one-way and non-stop on the Pennine Way. Not unexpected in a race of this time and length, both winners were hours ahead of their closest challengers.

The women’s podium was entirely composed of athletes from the host country. Jenny Hartley won in 104 hours and 55 minutes, and Danielle Macgill and Lindsey Collins finished next in 108:05 and 119:21.

The first three men ran under 100 hours. Ed Payne (Ireland) won in 82:28, and Samuel Adams (U.S.) and James Green (U.K.) were second and third in 91:34 and 94:46.

Full results.

Additional Races and Runs

U18 International Mountain Running World Cup – Gagliano del Capo, Italy

The 19th edition of the race ran on a 4.6k course in southern Italy. Clara McKee (U.K.) led all of the girls race and won in 22:35, a 36-second win. Jackson Spencer (U.S.) overcame a fall in the start-line chaos and went on to win for the boys race in 20:14. He was eight seconds in front. Full results (when available).

Kagaspa Trail by UTMB – Yamanaka Onsen, Yamanaka-za, Japan

The races started in a 1,300-year-old Japanese hot spring town. The long course went for 60 miles, and Naho Kotani (Japan) and Yuya Kawasaki (Japan) won in 15:11 and 11:10. Yuri Yoshizumi (Japan) and Hajime Kasagi (Japan) were fastest in the 35-mile race in 6:08 and 5:10. Full results.

Yading Skyrace – Yading, China

The very high-altitude race was part of the Skyrunner World Series. The course had a 4,735-meter (15,535 feet) high point and ran 30k through remote Tibetan trails. Svetlana Nurmukhametova (Neutral) was best in the women’s race in 4:25, and Ji Duo (China) led all of the men’s race and won in 3:32. The next Skyrunner World Series race is the Ibarra Skyrace on June 28 in Ecuador. Full results.

Cavalls del Vent – Bagà, Spain

Spanish runners swept all of the top spots at the mountain race in the Spanish Pyrenees. The 84k victory went to Teresa Moyano and Alexandre Urbina in 14:27 and 10:52, and Ester Ricart and Martí Casellas won the 42k in 7:44 and 4:28. Full results.

Slay the Dragon 50k – Vernon, British Columbia, Canada

At the Silver Star Mountain Resort, Megan Johnston and Eliot Soderholm won in 5:40 and 4:58. Full results.

Tenderfoot Boogie 50k – Squamish, British Columbia, Canada

Canadian runners Katie Sandrin and Zander Geddes won in 5:15 and 4:28. Full results.

Alpine Solstice 55k – Bend, Oregon

It was the third year for Alpine Running event, and the first year for the 55k distance. Anne Hamby and Matthew Guarino were crowned as winners in 6:17 and 4:01. Full results.

Black Mountain 50k – San Diego, California

Race winners Olivia Horgan and Maxim Khatsenko ran 5:13 and 4:28. Full results.

Flagstaff Extreme Big Pine Trail Runs – Flagstaff, Arizona

It was the 11th year for the event at Fort Tuthill County Park. In the 50k, it was Lucie Rathbun and Joseph Moreno finishing first in 4:27 and 4:03. Full results.

Trail Rail Run – St. Regis, Montana

Racing on historic railroad grades, Hannah Valerio and Ben Scott went 7:45 and 7:16 for the wins. Full results.

Nighttrain 50k – Farmville, Virginia

Whitney Richman won the women’s 50k in 4:12, and Robert Mazzanti won the men’s race in 3:29. Both were course records. Full results.

Bighorn 100 Mile – Dayton, Wyoming

The wild and scenic 100 miler had Leah Handelman and Bo Shelby as its winners in 24:23 and 17:58. It was a new course record for Shelby, bettering an old Andrew Miller time from 2015. Full results.

Bears Ears Ultra – Monticello, Utah

The Mad Moose Events race hosted 50-mile and 50k races in the Abajo Mountains. Sarah House and Barrett Bentley were best in the 50 miler in 10:02 and 7:58, and Kylie Breeze and Peter Davidson won the 50k in 6:40 and 5:32. Full results.

Logan Peak Trail Run – Logan, Utah

The trail marathon had Kristin Johnson and Zachary Garner as its winners in 4:17 and 3:54, respectively. Full results.

San Juan Solstice 50 Mile – Lake City, Colorado

Official results haven’t yet hit the web, but it appears that Imogen Ainsworth and Devon Olson won this year’s race in 9:34 and 8:21. Tracking.

Ring the Springs – Colorado Springs, Colorado

The Aravaipa Running event crowned Eva Klingbeil and Alex Cummings as 100k winners in 14:18 and 13:47, and Megan Drake and Mitch Klomp won the 50k in 4:39 and 3:57. Full results.

Six Days in the Dome – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Racing on a 443-meter indoor track, Julija Soryte and Jon Noll totaled 134.4 and 161.1 miles over 24 hours. Full results.

Tuscozoar Raw – Dover, Ohio

The first-year race at Camp Tuscozoar had Cindy Shilling and Alec Cline win the 50k in 5:55 and 5:22. Full results.

Ghost Town Trail Challenge 50k – Blairsville, Pennsylvania

A small field in the 50-mile race in Western Pennsylvania was led by Nikki Roberts and Carson Schloder in 8:53 and 8:47, and a bigger 50k race was won by Emma Reineberg and Greg Snyder in 5:23 and 4:20. Full results.

New River Gorge Trail Festival 50k – Fayetteville, West Virginia

The race was inside its namesake national park. HollyAnn Swann and Tanner McQuality came through first in 4:31 and 4:07. Full results.

Highlands Sky 40 Mile – Davis, West Virginia

It was the race’s 22nd year, and Jessie Wingo and Caleb Bowen won in 7:21 and 6:05. Most of the race was in the Monongahela National Forest. Full results.

Catamount Ultra – Stowe, Vermont

The two-loop 50k around the Trapp Family Lodge trails was won by Mackenzie Hall and Dakota Jones in 4:16 and 3:39. Full results.

Call for Comments

What had you excited about this weekend’s races?