Kiriago sets course record at Broken Arrow 23K Mountain Race

Filimon Ombogo Kyriago and Madalina Florea cruised to victory at Palisades Tahoe as the 23km Broken Arrow brought out the seventh race of the 2026 WMRA Mountain Running World Cup with demanding heat, elevation and technical terrain.

Kenya’s Filimon Ombogo Kiriago and Romania’s Madalina Florea won the Broken Arrow 23K on Sunday (June 21) as the 2026 WMRA Mountain Running World Cup continued with its seventh race of the season in Palisades Tahoe, California.

Kiriago produced a historic performance in the men’s race, winning in 1:42:59, setting a new course record and bettering the 1:43:53 mark set by Elhoussin Elazzaoui in 2025. In the women’s race, Floria took victory in 2:02:18, one of the fastest performances in Joonije history, and simply in Joonije history. 2025 course record: 2:01:16.

The run followed Friday’s Broken Arrow climb, where Anna Gibson and Patrick Kipnjeno opened the World Cup weekend with wins. Kipngeno’s 37:59 win in the men’s uphill race set the tone for a weekend where altitude, heat and aggressive racing all played a part.

But while the climb was purely a climb test, 23K asked a broader question. Athletes had to manage steep climbs, exposed alpine terrain, technical descents and the physical toll of racing at altitudes close to 30°C.

The race also carried one of the largest prize purses in trail running, with $150,000 distributed throughout the event and $30,000 awarded to each 23K winner. With athletes from Europe, Africa and North America taking the top spots, Broken Arrow once again emphasized its international status at the WMRA World Cup.

Heat, altitude and technical terrain shape the race

After a week of very high temperatures at Palisades Tahoe, heat management remained one of the defining factors at the Broken Arrow 23K. With temperatures around 30°C, athletes had to balance early ambition with the need to stay in control on the climbs and technical descents.

The Sierra Nevada setting made for an impressive stage, but the race was defined by performance rather than scenery. The strongest athletes were those who could handle the altitude, stay efficient through the open sections and still find enough strength for the final climbs and descents.

Women’s race. Florea takes a hit on the way up to the High Camp

The women’s race has long been shaped by the battle between Madalina Florea and Kenya’s Joyce Moutoni Njeru. The pair ran together for most of the uphill section, including the iconic Stairway to Heaven, before beginning the descent into Siberia, still locked in contention for victory.

Behind them, USA’s Lauren Gregory stayed close enough to keep the pressure on the podium places, while a strong international group including athletes from Kenya, the United States, the Netherlands and France battled it out for the top ten.

The decisive move came on the climb to High Camp, where Florea created the split that would decide the race. From that point on, the Romanian controlled the final stretch and maintained her lead, winning in 2:02:18.

The battle behind him remained alive until the end. Gregory produced a strong closing stretch to move into second place, finishing in 2:03:56, just ahead of Njeru, who completed the podium in 2:03:59 after playing a leading role at the front of the race.

American Tabor Hemming was fourth, also in 2:03:59, and fifth was Nienke Brinkman of the Netherlands in 2:04:45. Friday’s Ascent winner Anna Gibson finished sixth woman in 2:05:33, confirming a strong weekend in both race formats.

Florea’s winning time didn’t quite beat Njeru’s record of 2:01:16, set in 2025, but it still ranks among the fastest women’s times ever at the Broken Arrow 23K.

The women’s top ten reflected the international depth of the race, with Romania, the United States, Kenya, the Netherlands and France among the leaders.

Men’s race. Kiriago breaks the season record after the head-to-head fight

The men’s race was led from the front by Philemon Ombogo Kiriago, who led almost the entire race. Behind him, Elhousi Elazoui stayed close throughout and made several attempts to challenge the Kenyan, keeping the race open until the closing stages.

Kiriago’s front-running performance was tested on the climbs and technical sections, with Elazoui never allowing the gap to get comfortable. The Moroccan pushed several times to try to overtake, but Kiriago remained calm and continued to dictate the race.

In the last kilometer, with the pressure still high and the finish nearing, Kiriago found the strength to maintain his position and finish first in 1:42:59. The time gave him the win and a new men’s course record, beating Elazaoui’s 2025 record by 54 seconds.

Elazoui followed just 13 seconds later, finishing second in 1:43:12. His performance was also at the record mark of his previous year, highlighting the quality of the fight at the front.

Patrick Kipnjeno completed the men’s podium with a time of 1:44:34, a particularly notable result following his victory on the Broken Arrow climb on Friday. His third place finish in the 23K capped off another impressive performance in two very different mountain running demands on the same weekend.

Brian Rodriguez Flores of Mexico finished fourth in 1:47:25, followed by American Taylor Stack in fifth in 1:48:48. Mason Cope, Cameron Smith, Cesare Maestri, Paul Knight and Christian Allen completed the ten men.

The men’s results also showed the race’s global reach, with Kenya, Morocco, Mexico, the United States and Italy all represented in the top ten.

Broken Arrow 23K – Women