With start-to-finish dominance, Kenyan athletes Joyce Muthoni Njeru and Patrick Kipngeno took first place at the 2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k.
The 2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k took place on Sunday, June 23, and was part of the weekend of the Broken Arrow Skyrace festival, including a Vertical Kilometer, 11k, 18k, the Ironface Challenge, and 46k races. After last year’s route was cut short due to poor weather conditions, this year, there was much less snow and a cloudless, warm morning — the stage was set for an exciting race.
The start of the 2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace. Photo: Scott Rokis Photography
The race is 21.75 kilometers (13.5 miles) long and has 1,433 meters (4,700 feet) of vertical gain. It takes place in the Palisades Tahoe ski area, where the legendary Western States 100 begins next Saturday, and routes itself on the resort’s more technical paths.
This race was the season opener for the 2024 World Mountain Running Association World Cup, as was the Vertical Kilometer race, which took place two days prior.
Last year’s winners of the women’s and men’s races, Allie McLaughlin and Eli Hemming, took part in this year’s event, so the pressure may have been on them to retain their titles. In the end, the Kenyan athletes reigned supreme. Plus, the drama and close racing continued to the finish lines, especially in the women’s race.
Read on for the full story.
2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k Women’s Race
The first three miles of the race are the fastest and most runnable part of the course, making it a quick start. Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Kenya) was first to the Snow King checkpoint at 4.6 miles in 40:23. She held a just-under-two-minute lead on Tabor Hemming, who passed the checkpoint in 42:03. Less than one minute behind second place was last year’s winner Allie McLaughlin (43:11) in third followed shortly by Jade Belzberg in fourth and Dani Moreno in fifth. There may have been a small gap at the front of the race between the leader and the rest of the field, but the competition remained fierce between second through fifth places and beyond.
Joyce Muthoni Njeru, 2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k women’s champion. Photo: Howie Stern
On a well-deserved descent from Washeau Peak, runners drop 1,200 feet in 2.5 miles to Shirley Basin, passing Siberia (the second checkpoint) on their way at mile 7.8. The women’s race remained steady as the runners held their positions. Njeru increased her lead by another minute (1:21:12) against Hemming (1:24:08), setting her up well for the race’s second half. McLaughlin closed the gap in third place (1:24:59) while the race remained tight, with Belzberg only 30 seconds back in fourth. Moreno (1:28:15) ran in fifth.
After descending into Shirley Basin, the runners next climbed 550 feet back up to checkpoint three at the High Camp aid station at 10.5 miles. It was during the ascent that Belzberg started to make her attack. Njeru (1:44:50) and Hemming (1:47:22) remained in first and second as they passed the checkpoint, but Belzberg overtook McLaughlin, taking over the third-place position in 1:48:15. However, the gap remained tight with McLaughlin reaching High Camp at 1:48:53 and Moreno three minutes behind at 1:52:00.
Jade Belzberg all smiles on an ascent. She would take second at the 2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k. Photo: Andy Wacker
It was Joyce Muthoni Njeru who crossed the finish line first at 2:11:52. But it was tight.
Jade Belzberg made up a lot of time on the steep descent to finish in second place, just over 30 seconds behind Njeru in 2:12:29. It was an incredible race for the athlete who managed to take a podium spot in the last few miles of the route.
Tabor Hemming came through the finish in third in 2:13:31, while last year’s winner, Allie McLaughlin, finished in 2:14:53 for fourth place. Dani Moreno maintained fifth place in 2:17:04. It was an exciting end for the women’s top positions.
Tabor Hemming on her way to taking third at the 2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k. Photo: Jonathan Wyatt
2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k Women’s Results
- Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Kenya) – 2:11:52
- Jade Belzberg – 2:12:29
- Tabor Hemming – 2:13:31
- Allie McLaughlin – 2:14:53
- Dani Moreno – 2:17:04
- Rachel Tomajczyk – 2:21:11
- Sydney Petersen – 2:23:01
- Abby Lock – 2:24:42
- Sarah Carter – 2:26:29
- Karley Rempel – 2:30:38
The 2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k women’s podium (left to right): 3. Tabor Hemming, 1. Joyce Muthoni Njeru, and 3. Jade Belzberg. Photo: Nancy Hobbs
2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k Men’s Race
The favorite for the 23k race was last year’s winner and 2023 Mont Blanc Marathon runner-up, Eli Hemming — also the husband of women’s third-place finisher Tabor Hemming. However, it was Kenyan athlete Patrick Kipngeno who took the lead into checkpoint one, setting a tone for the day. Kipngeno came in at 32:49, one minute faster than Hemming. He was followed shortly after by Kenyan athlete Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (34:15) and Taylor Stack, who remained close behind in third and fourth. Just 30 seconds later, Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau entered the first checkpoint at 35:24, a spread of about 2.5 minutes for the top five men.
Patrick Kipngeno, 2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k men’s champion. Photo: Howie Stern
Meanwhile, Kipngeno continued to increase the gap between himself (1:04:36) and Hemming (1:06:25) some 7.8 miles in at Siberia, the second checkpoint. Situated just after the race’s highest peak, athletes face a challenging climb, scrambling at the top, followed by a steep descent. Next to the checkpoint were Kiriago, Stack, and Beaudoin-Rousseau.
There was less drama in the men’s race, with no significant changes as Kipngeno managed to hold onto his lead on the last incline to the High Camp aid station, passing the checkpoint at 1:23:24 and Hemming at 1:25:21, still taking a two-minute lead on last year’s champion, the same gap as at the prior checkpoint. Another two minutes later, Kiriago crossed through at 1:27:13, followed by Stack (1:28:30) and Beaudoin-Rousseau (1:29:59).
It was no surprise that Patrick Kipngeno took first place, crossing the finish line in 1:45:37, followed by Eli Hemming in 1:47:00 for second place.
Eli Hemming on his way to taking second at the 2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k. Photo: Andy Wacker
It was a great day for Kenyan athletes, as Philemon Ombogo Kiriago came third at 1:50:23 to go along with the women’s and men’s win. Taylor Stack finished fourth at 1:51:12, and Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau fifth at 1:52:16.
Philemon Ombogo Kiriago working hard on an uphill. He would take third at the 2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k. Photo: Andy Wacker
2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k Men’s Results
- Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 1:45:37
- Eli Hemming – 1:47:00
- Philemon Ombogo Kiriago (Kenya) – 1:50:23
- Taylor Stack – 1:51:12
- Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau – 1:52:16
- Hawk Call – 1:54:04
- Andrew Douglas (U.K.) – 1:54:28
- Rémi Leroux (Canada) – 1:55:09
- Sam Hendry – 1:55:24
- Cade Michael – 1:55:30
The 2024 Broken Arrow Skyrace 23k men’s podium (left to right): 3. Philemon Ombogo Kiriago, 1. Patrick Kipngeno, and 2. Eli Hemming. Photo: Nancy Hobbs
