Announcement from American Trail Running Association member Broken Arrow Skyrace. Images by Hilary Matheson.
For the first time, online viewers will be able to watch the season final of the North America Golden Trail National Series and the only World Mountain Running Association World Cup event in North America.
The Broken Arrow Skyrace and Strava have announced a new partnership aimed at elevating the way in which trail running events are live broadcast in North America.
The Broken Arrow Skyrace – presented by Salomon – is held each June at the world-famous Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Resort, home of the 1960 Winter Olympics. The 2020 event was cancelled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this year’s race was rescheduled to October 1st to 3rd out of consideration for the health and safety of race volunteers, participants, and the surrounding community.
In its fifth edition – and with 1,436 entrants already entered – the Broken Arrow Skyrace is already one of the largest trail running events in the North America. Five race distances – an 11k, Vertical Kilometer (VK), 26k, 52k and, a perennial fan-favorite, kid’s race – cater to runners of all ages and abilities.
Modeled after iconic European races, such as Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), and held over the course of an entire weekend, the Broken Arrow Skyrace is unlike any other trail running event in the United States. But the races are only one aspect of the experience. More than 5,000 attendees – athletes, families, and spectators – will stroll through a bustling expo area, and enjoy film festival screenings, speakers, educational seminars and clinics, live music, food, craft beer and wine, and more.
This year, the Broken Arrow Skyrace 26K has been selected as the North American Golden Trail National Series Final and – in a repeat of 2019 – as the only North American stop on the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) Mountain Running World Cup. For the first time this year, viewers from around the world will be able to watch top-tier professional athletes go head-to-head against a grueling course – and one another – in what is bound to be one of the most competitive races of the year.
The four-hour, live broadcast – replete with aerial footage, unique course segment flybys, embedded racer cams, and in-race athlete commentary – will be hosted by professional ultrarunners Corrine Malcom (Adidas Terrex), Dylan Bowman (of Pyllars, Red Bull, and The North Face) and Jorge Maravilla. It will be aired on the Broken Arrow Skyrace YouTube channel.
The Broken Arrow 26K course showcases some of Squaw Valley’s most famous terrain, including Emigrant Pass (elevation 8,750 feet), the jagged terrain of KT-22, unrivaled views into Granite Chief Wilderness, and the famous “Stairway to Heaven” ladder, which runners climb to the top of Squaw Peak. From the valley floor at 6,200 feet, runners will ascend nearly 5,000 feet as they circumnavigate the heralded terrain of North America’s most rugged and extreme ski resort. The race will also feature two Strava course “segments” – races within the race – with additional prize money distributed to lucky winners across the field.
Two additional hours of bonus coverage will showcase the grueling Broken Arrow Skyrace Vertical Kilometer (VK) race, which will be on Friday, October 1st.
The North American Golden Trail National Series, supported by Salomon, invites runners from across the United States and Canada to participate in a five-race series for a chance to compete in the Grand Final, a three-day stage race in the Azores Archipelago. The top three men and women from the Azores throw-down will be invited to participate in the 2022 Golden Trail Championship.
Strava is the premier social platform for athletes and the largest sports community in the world, with over 86 million athletes in 195 countries. By joining forces with industry leading athlete analytics platform, the Broken Arrow Skyrace is excited to provide unprecedented coverage of the men’s and women’s elite fields, while also highlighting compelling human interest stories of the average runner.
“We have always said that whether you finish first or last, at the Broken Arrow Skyrace, YOU are a rock star,” says co-race director, Brendan Madigan. “We have – and will continue – to push for progress in the sport of trail running, but we will never abandon the “old school” culture, tradition, and values that make our sport so special. Strava understands that sport can be a powerful force for bringing people together. We are delighted to be partnering with them as we invite our viewers to join the Broken Arrow community.”
About Strava:
Strava is the leading social platform for athletes and the largest sports community in the world, with over 86 million athletes in 195 countries. If you sweat, you’re an athlete, and Strava’s mobile apps and website connect millions of active people every day. Strava gives athletes simple, fun ways to stay motivated and compete against themselves and others without having to be in the same place at the same time. All athletes belong on Strava no matter where they live, which sport they love or what device they use. Join the community and make the most of your sport with a Strava subscription. Strava is Swedish for “strive,” which epitomizes attitude and ambition: Strava is a passionate and committed team, unified by the mission to build the most engaged community of athletes in the world. Every day, Strava searches for new ways to inspire athletes and make the sports they love even more fun. But it’s not only about achieving – Strava is an inclusive team, dedicated to elevating each other and the members of their communities. That balanced approach has helped Strava revolutionize the fitness industry, and they are just getting started. Millions of athletes are on Strava, millions more will come. When you are ready for a challenge and a team that will support you along the way, join them.
About the Broken Arrow Skyrace:
The Broken Arrow Skyrace, presented by Salomon, is a three-day, five-distance event held at world-famous Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Resort, home of the 1960 Winter Olympics. The Broken Arrow Skyrace features five distances: a 52k, 26k, Vertical Kilometer (VK), 11k and kid’s race. The VK and the 26k are part of the World Mountain Running Association World Cup, while the 26k is the 2021 Golden Trail National Series Final for North America. More thana 1,500 runners from around the world will be treated to spectacular views of Lake Tahoe’s emerald-blue waters and Squaw Valley’s unmistakable high-alpine terrain for an experience they’ll never forget. Designed in the vein of classic European “skyraces”, the Broken Arrow Skyrace represents a unique style of mountain running, characterized by off-trail scrambling on steep terrain with massive amounts of vertical gain and loss at altitude – with exposure, hand lines, a ladder and snow slopes thrown in for good measure. Elite and recreational participants alike will run and then celebrate together with first-class food, craft beer, music, films and fun activities for the entire family.
