The Damaged Arrow Skyrace Ascent in Olympic Valley, California, ran 3.6 miles and a couple of,840 ft up Washeshu Peak, and Anna Gibson and Kenyan Patrick Kipngeno (pre-race interview) obtained to the highest first! That’s 5.6 kilometers and 865 meters, simply shy of a vertical kilometer.
Gibson ran up in 43:15, and Kipngeno hit the 9,000-foot excessive level end in 37:59. Gibson trailed then-leader Joyce Njeru (Kenya) on the race’s near-vertical Stairway to Heaven ladder climb close to the highest, earlier than making a really late cross to attain the win. Kipngeno gained the lads’s lead from Philemon Kiriago (pre-race interview) close to the 15-minute mark and stayed in entrance the remainder of the way in which. It was a repeat win for Gibson and a second win for Kipngeno after his 2024 victory right here.
Patrick Kipngeno wins the 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace Ascent. Photograph: iRunFar/Gabe Joyes
The Ascent kicked off a aggressive weekend of Damaged Arrow racing. It began at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Friday, June 19, and it was each a part of the Mountain Working World Cup and the U.S. Mountain Working Championships Uphill race.
The highest 4 U.S. men and women earned spots to race on the Mountain Working World Cup Uphill closing, held this coming October in Canada. The weekend additionally has an enormous prize purse, and the Ascent obtained $28,200, with $6,000 to the winners and payouts going 10 deep, too.
Because of the World Mountain Working Affiliation for supporting iRunFar’s 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace protection.
Learn on for the total race story.
Damaged Arrow Ascent Girls’s Race
High runners don’t have any selection however to go laborious from the beginning, and the Damaged Arrow Ascent course doesn’t wait round both. The race climbs immediately, and Anna Gibson led the ladies from the earliest minutes up the preliminary stretch of grassy ski slope.
Gibson stayed within the lead for the preliminary a part of the climb, however by the two-mile mark, her lead on Kenya’s Joyce Njeru was simply two seconds. Tabor Hemming was operating in third right here, 42 seconds behind Gibson. Santa Clara College runner Milaina Almonte was a shock fourth on the two-mile break up, and Erin Moyer was positioned fifth.
Joyce Njeru climbs her solution to a repeat second-place end on the 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace Ascent. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Because the course briefly turned downhill on the 25-minute mark, Njeru swung previous Gibson and into the lead. Solely Njeru and Gibson have received this race within the final three years, and the rivalry was on. Gibson was first in 2023 and 2025, and Njeru received in 2024.
Njeru’s transfer didn’t break Gibson, although. Gibson caught to her by the race’s prime slopes, and the pair climbed the Stairway to Heaven ladder part collectively. As they got here off, Gibson nonetheless had a transfer to make and obtained previous Njeru. It was nearer than the ultimate clock confirmed as Njeru walked the final steps.
Tabor Hemming on her solution to ending third on the 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace Ascent. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Anna Gibson received the 2026 Damaged Arrow Ascent in 43:15. It was her second straight win right here and third win ever.
Joyce Njeru was second in 43:23, and it was her second straight runner-up end.
Tabor Hemming held her place from the two-mile to complete in third in 44:55, and Milaina Almonte stayed in fourth to complete in 45:59.
Nélie Clément (France) moved into fifth within the race’s second half and completed in 46:21.
Damaged Arrow Ascent Girls’s Outcomes
- Anna Gibson – 43:15
- Joyce Njeru (Kenya) – 43:23
- Tabor Hemming – 44:55
- Milaina Almonte – 45:59
- Nélie Clément (France) – 46:21
- Erin Moyer – 46:58
- Jade Belzberg (Canada) – 47:45
- Eden O’Dea (U.Okay.) – 47:46
- Stephanie Bruce – 47:55
- Valentine Rutto (Kenya) – 48:12
Anna Gibson climbing her solution to the 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace win. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Damaged Arrow Ascent Males’s Race
Kenya’s Philemon Kiriago (pre-race interview) was seventh within the Damaged Arrow Ascent in each 2025 and 2024, and he sprinted to the entrance early within the males’s race. Christian Allen and Mexico’s Brayan Rodríguez have been amongst his closest chasers as the lads went up and over a steep, grassy ski slope begin. Path rookie however 2:06 marathoner Rory Linkletter from Canada was positioned simply behind the lead girl and would end simply exterior the highest 10 in 14th.
Cam Smith on his solution to ending second on the 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace Ascent. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
After staying off the entrance early, Kenya’s Patrick Kipngeno (pre-race interview) began to maneuver up about 10 minutes into the race and handed his countryman and teammate for the lead on the 15-minute mark. Kipngeno reached the two-mile mark in 20:29, and he was 23 seconds in entrance of Kiriago and 36 seconds forward of third-place Cam Smith. Rodríguez was fourth and simply forward of Allen on the two-mile mark.
Smith, third in final 12 months’s race, jumped forward of Kiriago at 34 minutes elapsed to maneuver into second. Smith made up time on Kipngeno, too, however he was out of attain.
Philemon Kiriago chases on his solution to third on the 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace Ascent. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Patrick Kipngeno received the 2026 Damaged Arrow Ascent in 37:59. He received the race’s 2024 version in 36:21.
Cam Smith was second and first within the U.S. championships in 38:10.
Early chief Philemon Kiriago was third in 38:22.
Christian Allen regained the fourth-place spot on the highest slopes to complete in 38:29, forward of fifth-place Brayan Rodríguez, who completed in 38:51.
Damaged Arrow Ascent Males’s Outcomes
- Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 37:59 (pre-race interview)
- Cam Smith – 38:10
- Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 38:22 (pre-race interview)
- Christian Allen – 38:29
- Brayan Rodríguez (Mexico) – 38:51
- Casey Campbell – 38:56
- Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau – 39:06
- Cesare Maestri (Italy) – 39:44
- Kieran Nay – 39:48
- Jeret Gillingham – 40:02
Patrick Kipngeno climbing to the win on the 2026 Damaged Arrow Skyrace Ascent. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
