Broken Arrow Sky Race: 'Ring Das Bell' with 5 Mountain Runners

Want to know what it's like to 'Ring Das Bell" at the Broken Arrow Skyrace in the mountains above Lake Tahoe in California? 
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🔔Here's what the adventure was like for 5 runners...

• 🏃‍♂️Josh Reid
• 🏃‍♀️Tabor Hemming
• 🏃‍♀️Abby Lock
• 🏃‍♀️Morgan Hawkins-Jackson
• 🏃‍♀️Abbey Bennett

The Broken Arrow Skyrace is only 8 years old, and it has quickly become one of the most prominent trail running events in North America.
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Broken Arrow founder and owner of Alpenglow Sports, Brendan Madigan, is striving to provide the best possible experience for every single runner on the entry list–from the elites to the back of the pack.

• Brendan and his staff work to uphold the race’s motto, “whether you finish first or last, at the Broken Arrow Skyrace, YOU are a rockstar.” 
• This isn’t just good marketing; it’s a palpable attitude woven into the race weekend as the final runners “ring das bell” with as much, if not more, fanfare than the podium placers. 
• WeeViewer Abby Bennett, who cheered runners through the finishing chute on the days she wasn’t racing, described the weekend as, “buzzing, inspiring and uniting.”

...with each iteration of the event, consulting an advisory committee and conducting post-race surveys.

• 😲Perhaps this is one of the reasons their premiere events sell out on Ultrasignup within minutes of going live, even crashing the site amidst the frenzy of excitement. 

With 6 race distances and a kids’ race, the Broken Arrow Skyrace weekend is jam-packed with events. 

• The VK, 46K, and 23K are the premiere races which offer generous prize money to the top 5 runners, making them incredibly competitive. 
• Both the 2024 VK and 23K were WMRA Gold Label Valsir World Cup events. 
• The 23K also doubled as a Golden Trail National Series Race. 
• This year, Broken Arrow Skyrace attracted over 3,000 runners to the Palisades, Tahoe resort.

VK (Vertical Kilometer)

• 9:30am start
• 3 miles
• 3,000ft of vertical gain
• Drop bags taken to the summit

18K

• 12pm start
• 11.2 miles
• 3,650ft of vertical gain
• 6 hour cutoff

Iron Face Challenge

• 12pm start
• 5.75 miles
• 2,000ft of vertical gain
• Includes scrambling on the Via Ferrata 

46K

• 7am start
• 26.4 miles
• 9,100 ft of vertical gain
• 12 hour cutoff

11K

• 8:30am start
• 6.4 miles
• 2,400ft of vertical gain
• 4 hour cutoff

23K

• 8am start
• 13.5 miles
• 4,700ft of vertical gain/loss
• 7 hour cutoff

Kids Race

• 8:45am start
• 0.5 miles
• 130ft of vertical gain

Triple Crown

• Runners sign up for the VK, 46K, and 23K at a reduced price ($400). The triple crown has its own leaderboard. 

Iron Crown

• 25 runners sign up for the Iron Face Challenge, 46K, and 23K at a reduced price ($475).

Check out these 5 runners’ experiences at the Broken Arrow Skyrace weekend...

Coach, OCR athlete, and mountain runner

• Race distance: 46K
• Finishing Time: 4:42:25
• Placement: 10th OA

🏃‍♂️What drew you to Broken Arrow Skyrace? Will you return next year?

• The terrain/course profile and the depth of the elite field. I’d like to come back, but there are SO many races out there.

🏃‍♂️What was your favorite part of the 46K course and why?

• I can usually pick a section out, but I loved how the course flowed and looked forward to every section equally, from the flowy singletrack through the woods, to the exposed, steep climbs, to the fast service roads and technical downhills.

🏃‍♂️Did you have any surprises, key takeaways, or learning experiences during your race?

• I was surprised how many elites faded in the second half from going out hard or from the heat.
• I was happy with how well I paced myself and how I caught so many people. 
• I didn't necessarily learn anything during the race as it went basically flawlessly for me. 
• At the end of the day, I just have to keep training and improving my aerobic fitness.

🏃‍♂️What aspects of your training paid off the most?

• Other than putting in a consistent 12-16 hrs of aerobic work and 16-19k ft of vert, the track work helped me feel snappier on the runnable sections and the turnover makes blasting down descents more comfortable. 
• That said, the MOST impactful workouts were definitely the few key moderate long runs that focused on 2x climb and descent because that emulated the demands of the race, and specificity is very important!

🏃‍♂️What gear/nutrition came through for you during the 46K?

• In the 4 hrs 42 minutes I consumed 4 bottles of Skratch Super High Carb (100g carb/400mg sodium) and 3 Precision 100 caf gels (30g carb).

Professional runner for Adidas Terrex, coach at Aerobic Monsters

• Race distances: VK, 23K
• Finishing times: 50:24, 2:13:31 
• Placement: 8th female in VK, 3rd female in 23K

🏃‍♀️How many times have you run Broken Arrow now? What keeps you coming back for more? 

• This is my 3rd year and it's the community! It is where Eli and I fell in love with trail running. 

🏃‍♀️What event challenged you the most this year? Which was your favorite & why? 

• The VK for sure! We were trying a new taper and just hit it wrong, leaving my legs feeling flat and meh. 
• Then my favorite is always the 23k! It has a little bit of everything and an opportunity to see a lot of what Palisades has to offer. 

🏃‍♀️In retrospect what parts of your training paid off the most? 

• I'd say the mileage that we've been doing. It was able to recover really fast from the VK and have good legs for the 23k. The mileage, I feel, has made me stronger and more durable to be able to do a quick race turn around. 

🏃‍♀️Did you have any surprises, key takeaways, or learning experiences from either of your races? 

• I need to do more steep climbing. Haha!

🏃‍♀️What gear/nutrition came through for you over the weekend? 

• Always decked out in Adidas Terrex! Then for nutrition, I used Precision Fuel and Hydration. 

🏃‍♀️Do you have any tips for recovering well between B2B racing? 

• Quality sleep and food! I think those are the best ways to recover. It doesn't have to be fancy. 

🏃‍♀️Anything else you'd like to add about your experience?

• Everyone should do Broken Arrow! It really demonstrates the trail community!

Mountain runner, sports nutrition & run coach at Hills for Thrills

• Race distances: VK, 23K
• Finishing times: 50:16, 2:24:42 
• Placement: 7th female in VK, 8th female in 23K

🏃‍♀️What drew you to Broken Arrow Skyrace? Will you return next year?

• The VK really called me. As one of the few uphill only races on the west coast of the U.S., I really wanted to shoot my shot at a highly competitive race. 
• The live coverage of previous years also set the stage for how awesome the event is. I plan to return next year!

🏃‍♀️What event challenged you the most? Which was your favorite/why?

• The 23K was hands-down the most challenging race for me, because I hadn’t put in many runs longer than 10 miles during my training for the VK. 
• I hadn’t anticipated running the 23K, but I managed to get a bib on race morning. 
• The VK was my favorite because it’s a long, steady grind to the top of a mountain—that’s my bread and butter. 

🏃‍♀️In retrospect, what parts of your training paid off the most?

• I am really pleased with all of the elements of my training coming together for this race weekend. 
• Leading into the VK, I was doing 1 session of VO2 track work and 1-2 threshold sessions on trail each week. 
• The track work not only improved my top-end for the VK, but it also helped with the leg speed and turnover needed for the 23K. 
• I do wish I had put in more long runs prior to this weekend, but lessons learned!

🏃‍♀️Any surprises, key takeaways, or learning experiences from either of your races?

• The VK went rather smoothly, but the 23K came with a ton of unexpected challenges. 
• I learned a lot about managing sub-optimal circumstances during that race. 
• Between having to make a last-minute shoe change, not having enough time to warm up, not getting out of the starting chute fast enough, and managing GI issues, I came out of the 23K with a newfound sense of confidence that I can adapt and ultimately run a halfway decent race even if chaos ensues. 

🏃‍♀️What gear came through for you over the weekend?

Salomon Pulsar 3

• I was stoked with how the Salomon Pulsar 3 performed during the VK. 
• It’s a super light shoe with awesome traction. Although there’s not much protection underfoot, it’s the perfect shoe for uphill races and smooth trails. 

Roka SR-1X sunglasses

• Under the bright (and surprisingly hot) California sun, my Roka SR-1X sunglasses with the dark arctic mirror lens kept my eyes protected without obscuring my field of vision for technical descents in the 23K. 

Skratch Hydrate & Maurten 320

• For my nutrition and hydration, I used a combination of Skratch Hydrate and Maurten 320 drink mix. 
• Since it was pretty warm, the liquid nutrition seemed to be a good strategy, but I definitely would have benefitted from taking in more salt and fluid during the 23K, as I started experiencing mild GI distress later in the race.

Ultrarunner & Coach with The Run Experience 

• Race distances: Triple Crown
• Combined time: 12:34:46
• Triple Crown Rank: 6th female

🏃‍♀️How many times have you run Broken Arrow? What keeps you coming back for more?

• 3 times. The first was 2022, I raced the VK and what was the 52K at the time. 2023 and 2024 were both the Triple Crown. 
• The energy of the weekend is pure electricity. Living in the Bay Area I have a ton of friends and community members who come up to race or cheer, so it's like a long weekend trail party. 
• I always joke that I can't walk 2 minutes through Palisades without stopping to say hello, give high fives, or catch up with a friend. Race Director Brenden Madigan has something special up here in Tahoe. 

🏃‍♀️What do you feel is the most challenging aspect of racing the Triple Crown?

• Pacing yourself. Day 1, the VK, it's short but can trash your legs if you let it. It's a later start time so you feel rested and ready to go. If you're in the race to be competitive you need to have a strategy. 
• For me, I'm not the best climber, but I can endure. I know that you can make up the most time on the 46K so hold back and with the assistance of poles on the VK, give your legs a break, there's a long weekend ahead. 

🏃‍♀️What event challenged you the most this year? Which was your favorite & why?

• The second lap of the 46K was a little brutal this year. The 46K is two laps of the 23K course with the majority of the climbing in the first half. The heat really started to get to me, and knowing I had the steep climbs again after coming through lap 1, began to weigh on my mental fatigue. 
• With many races, especially the longer distances there are points of low, where we enter "the pain cave" this can be mental or physical.
• I've done plenty of races to know to ride out the lows and stay strong and steady because eventually, the highs will poke back out and you'll be running strong. 
• My fav has to be the 23K. It's a victory lap, a celebration if you pace yourself the first two days, and can send it home. I was able to do just that and actually PR a few of the back section segments.

🏃‍♀️In retrospect what parts of your training paid off the most? 

• Managing both steep hike-able and runnable terrain. All of the courses have both, besides the VK, so no matter if you're doing the 11K or the 46K, or the Triple Crown, you need to be able to power hike strong, charge uphill, and have quick leg turnover speed for the downhill and flatter sections. 
• Coming off a back-to-back marathon block of Boston to Big Sur, I knew I had the pure running down but I needed to hit the hills and crush the vert in May. 

🏃‍♀️Did you have any surprises, key takeaways, or learning experiences from any of your races?

• I think I learn something new about myself every time I toe the line for a race. 
• This time it was how quickly things can go from great to bad and back again. 
• I was proud of myself for sticking it out and not letting the darkness pull me under too far. I'm able to remind myself that "this too shall pass". 
• I'm always amazed at how quickly races are over. As I'm writing this almost a week has passed which is crazy to think. So I try to enjoy the suffer, take a breath, calm myself, and keep trucking along. 

🏃‍♀️What gear came through for you over the weekend?

• Ice bandanas and bucket hats were the theme of the weekend. Not sure if Ice counts as gear or nutrition, but that was my secret weapon, ice or the small bits of snow still left on the course that found their way into my bandana or right down the front of my sports bra.
• This is terrible to say as a coach, but I'm a chronic underfueler during races, I'm still figuring out what works best for me. This weekend I drank more Ginger Ale and downed multiple sticks of Untapped Maple Syrup. Both seemed to work really well for me, and watermelon, can't forget that, It has saved many of my ultras. 
• I wore Rabbit shorts each day, they're a staple in my wardrobe. The fit is unmatched and I always feel super secure and comfortable in them. I wore the Speed Leggy 4" for the VK and 46K, and the Tie Breaker 2.5" for the 23K.

Mountain runner and Skimo athlete

• Race distance: VK
• Finishing time: 56:04
• Placement: 26th female

🏃‍♀️What drew you to Broken Arrow Skyrace this year? 

• I’m from the northeast and have never traveled a significant distance for a race before. It’s intimidating! But I made the leap for Broken Arrow.
• Some of my close friends encouraged me to do it. They generously offered to let me sleep in their van and tag along with them for the weekend. In this sport, community is everything, and I love how supportive and encouraging running friends are. 
• I hope I can return next year and compete in the 46k. There are races that excite me more (like the Minotaur Skyrace or Run the Rut), but spending a weekend with friends in such a beautiful place takes priority for me!

🏃‍♀️What was your favorite part of the VK course and why?

• I loved the rocky ridge near the end of the race. My favorite kind of “running” involves hands on rocks, and we got some of that!

🏃‍♀️In retrospect what parts of your training paid off most?

• I decided to run the VK three weeks before the race, so I couldn’t train as specifically as I’d ideally want to. 
• However, I do a lot of uphill running to train for longer mountain races and that certainly helped. 
• I believe that being consistent for several years has helped my fitness the most, and I continue to see improvement every time I race.

🏃‍♀️Any surprises, key takeaways, or learning experiences from your race?

• If I run a VK again, I will add shorter uphill intervals (power and VO2 max), because I felt flat and lacking power/strength during the race.

🏃‍♀️What gear came through for you over the weekend?

• I didn’t carry gear or nutrition for the VK, since I expected it would be under an hour. 
• The most important piece of gear to me were shoes. I wanted lightweight and grippy so I went with the VJ Maxx2, one of my favorite trail shoes.

🏃‍♀️Were there any moments that stuck with you as you watched other finishers come into the festival area?

• I was struck by the mix of raw emotions racers showed coming down the finishing chute. 
• I have had races where I sprint into the finish beaming, and others where I am looking down, frowning with focus and pain. 
• I saw both, or some combination of both, on every racer’s face. Both are the result of people pushing themselves to their own limits and there is so much beauty in that.
• It also filled me with emotion to see my friends coming in after completing their races. I wanted them to know how proud I was of them and how amazing they are.

Would you ever sign up for a trail festival like Broken Arrow? Share your thoughts in the comments!👇