Kenya’s Philemon Kiriago (pre-race and post-race interviews) and Romania’s Mădălina Florea (post-race interview) received a large $30,000 money prize on the 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace 23k. Kiriago broke the race’s year-old course report with a 1:42:59, and Florea was simply again of the ladies’s mark in 2:02:18.
Kenya’s Philemon Kiriago rings the bell to win the 2026 Damaged Arrow 23k after taking management of the race within the closing couple hundred meters. Picture: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Kiriago led for a lot of the race and fought off late challenges from Moroccan defending champion Elhousine Elazzaoui (pre-race interview) within the closing minutes of the race. Florea dominated the race’s second-half downhill to enhance on final yr’s second-place end.
The Mountain Operating World Cup race, held on Sunday, June 21, highlighted the final day of a giant weekend of aggressive racing in Olympic Valley, California. The one loop race began at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time for the ladies, and the lads began 20 minutes later, ensuing within the leaders ending almost on the similar time. The course went 14.2 miles (22.9 kilometers) and had 4,500 ft (1,372 meters) of climbing. The course ran largely uphill for the primary half and largely downhill within the second, aside from a 500-foot climb out of Shirley Canyon midway down the descent.
Mădălina Florea of Romania, 2026 Damaged Arrow 23k champion. This follows up on her second place at this race final yr. Picture: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Lots of the opponents within the 23k raced the Damaged Arrow Ascent two days prior, additionally a Mountain Operating World Cup race. Whereas the Ascent had a extremely profitable prize purse, the 23k went above and past what’s seen in path racing with a $102,200 prize purse, with $30,000 to the winners and cash going 10 deep.
Due to the World Mountain Operating Affiliation for supporting iRunFar’s 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace protection.
Learn on for the complete race story.
You too can take a look at our 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace Ascent outcomes article.
2026 Damaged Arrow 23k Males’s Race
Andy Wacker sprinted to the very earliest lead within the males’s race, however when the climbing bought getting in earnest, Kenya’s Philemon Kiriago (pre-race and post-race interviews) moved to the entrance. Kiriago was second in 2025 and maybe was working to get away from the sometimes quick end of Morocco’s defending champion Elhousine Elazzaoui (pre-race interview). Elazzaoui received final yr’s race by 4 seconds, and he runs late-race downhills and kicks higher than almost anybody else on this planet.
Brayan Rodríguez climbing his solution to a fourth-place end on the 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace 23k. Picture: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
On the 2.6-mile checkpoint, Kiriago’s technique was additional revealed. He was an unbelievable 15 seconds forward of second-place Wacker, and it was one other 10 seconds behind Wacker to the chase group. Taylor Stack, Kenya’s Patrick Kipngeno (pre-race interview), Mexico’s Brayan Rodríguez, Elazzaoui, and Mason Coppi had been third by sixth and all inside a second of one another. Christian Allen was 9 seconds behind the chase pack in eighth, and Paul Knight and Cam Smith (pre-race interview) had been a couple of seconds behind Allen to spherical out the then prime 10.
On the 30-minute mark, Elazzaoui left the chase group and began his pursuit. Kiriago got here by the 4.5-mile checkpoint in 33:28, a big 25 seconds forward of Elazzaoui, and Kipngeno and Rodríguez ran collectively in third and fourth about seven seconds behind. Fifth- and sixth-place Stack and Coppi had been now 35 seconds again of that pair. Early chief Wacker quickly fell out of the highest 10.
Elhousine Elazzaoui on his solution to taking second on the 2026 Damaged Arrow 23k. Picture: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
At mile 5.8, Elazzaoui was already again in his favourite second-place place, solely two seconds behind Kiriago, with the 2 holding a large lead on everybody else. Kipngeno was third however 30 seconds behind Elazzaoui, and Rodríguez was fourth one other 20 seconds again. Stack had pulled away from Coppi for fifth, and Smith was as much as seventh.
Kiriago and Elazzaoui stayed collectively by the entire second-half downhill, and Kipgneno and Rodríguez remained in third and fourth.
At roughly the 1 hour, 40 minute mark, Elazzaoui had taken the lead, however Kiriago wasn’t achieved. When the pair hit the ultimate grime highway collectively, as a substitute of Elazzaoui creating a spot like final yr, it was Kiriago who stepped on the gasoline to tug away within the closing minute of the race.
Patrick Kipngeno runs to 3rd place on the 2026 Damaged Arrow 23k. Picture: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
That aggression propelled Philemon Kiriago into the final word lead and he rung the end line bell first, successful the 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace 23k in 1:42:59. It was a brand new course report, bettering Elazzaoui’s 1:43:53 mark from 2025.
Elhousine Elazzaoui was second in 1:43:12, and Patrick Kipgneno was third in 1:44:34. It was Kipngeno’s second straight third-place end right here.
2026 Damaged Arrow 23k Males’s Outcomes
- Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 1:42:59 (pre-race and post-race interviews)
- Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) – 1:43:12 (pre-race interview)
- Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 1:44:34 (pre-race interview)
- Brayan Rodríguez (Mexico) – 1:47:25
- Taylor Stack – 1:48:48
- Mason Coppi – 1:49:11
- Cam Smith – 1:50:19 (pre-race interview)
- Cesare Maestri (Italy) – 1:51:00
- Paul Knight – 1:51:47
- Christian Allen – 1:52:32
Philemon Kiriago leads Elhousine Elazzaoui with 4k left within the 2026 Damaged Arrow 23k and pulled away within the closing corners of the race. Picture: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
2026 Damaged Arrow 23k Ladies’s Race
The ladies’s race began 20 minutes earlier than the lads, and after 5 minutes of operating, Makena Morley (pre-race interview) was on the entrance with Kenya’s Joyce Njeru (pre-race interview) on her shoulder. Njeru was the race’s two-time defending champion, and she was second within the Damaged Arrow Ascent race two days earlier.
Lauren Gregory, who completed second, leads Tabor Hemming, Nienke Brinkman, and Makena Morley 11k into the 2026 Damaged Arrow 23k. Picture: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
On the 2.6-mile checkpoint, Morley, Njeru, Tabor Hemming, and Romania’s Mădălina Florea (post-race interview) had been all inside six seconds of one another as a lead group of 4. Lauren Gregory (pre-race interview), France’s Nélie Clément, Nienke Brinkman of The Netherlands, 2026 Damaged Arrow Ascent winner Anna Gibson, Kenya’s Valentine Rutto, and Erin Moyer had been in sixth by tenth and inside a minute of the entrance.
Because the climb progressed, race favorites Njeru and Florea took their positions on the entrance. Morley was nonetheless within the podium combine at 4.5 miles, however by mile 5.8, solely Njeru and Florea had been within the lead. It was beginning to look rather a lot like final yr: a two-woman race between Njeru and Florea for the win and the large $30,000 money prize.
Njeru was first up the Stairway to Heaven ladder part, identical to she was within the Ascent two days earlier, however Florea was instantly behind her. Brinkman was third up and over the ladder to begin the second-half downhill, however she was 87 seconds behind Florea. Morley had fallen again to seventh.
Kenya’s Joyce Njeru completed third on the 2026 Damaged Arrow 23k. Picture: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
The race then turned downhill to the end, with solely a 500-foot climb to interrupt the quick descent. It was right here that Florea bumped into the lead previous Njeru, shouting “flower energy” to the on-race cameraman as she flew previous. At 10.4 miles, Florea’s lead was 16 seconds and ballooned the remainder of the best way.
Njeru was dangerously clutching her left aspect on the ultimate descent whereas behind her, Hemming and Gregory had been rocketing downhill. Within the closing downhill part on the ultimate grime highway, Gregory launched previous each Hemming and Njeru, shifting up from fourth to second place in a matter of moments.
After a second-place end in 2025, Mădălina Florea received the 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace 23k in 2:02:18. It simply missed Njeru’s 2:01:16 course report from 2025.
After ending in fourth final yr, Lauren Gregory was second in 2:03:56, and two-time defending champion Joyce Njeru was third in 2:03:59. Tabor Hemming took fourth place after a finish-chute dash with Njeru. The pair had the identical end time, however Njeru was declared in third place.
Mădălina Florea leads the 2026 Damaged Arrow 23k with 5k to go. Picture: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
2026 Damaged Arrow 23k Ladies’s Outcomes
- Mădălina Florea (Romania) – 2:02:18 (post-race interview)
- Lauren Gregory – 2:03:56 (pre-race interview)
- Joyce Njeru (Kenya) – 2:03:59 (pre-race interview)
- Tabor Hemming – 2:03:59
- Nienke Brinkman (The Netherlands) – 2:04:45
- Anna Gibson – 2:05:33 (pre-race interview)
- Makena Morley – 2:09:49 (pre-race interview)
- Nélie Clément (France) – 2:10:34
- Valentine Rutto (Kenya) – 2:11:32
- Marie Nivet (France) – 2:14:59
The highest three ladies of the 2023 Damaged Arrow 23k (left to proper): 1. Mădălina Florea, 3. Joyce Njeru, and a pair of. Lauren Gregory. Picture: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks