As the 2025 World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) World Cup gains momentum, the season has already delivered thrilling performances across its opening three stages. The circuit kicked off in Romania with the ZMEU X-Fest, before heading to the steep Italian trails of the Vertical Nasego and Trofeo Nasego. These early races on a variety of terrain have set the stage for a fiercely competitive year.

Currently, the overall World Cup standings are led by Kenyan Paul Machoka (Atletica Saluzzo), who impressed with strong back-to-back results in both Romania and Italy, and Scout Adkin (HOKA EU) of Great Britain, whose consistency across the opening rounds has placed her at the top of the women’s leaderboard. Both athletes have established themselves as key figures to watch as the series prepares for its next chapters in Poland and the United States.

In just a couple of days, the WMRA tour continues at high altitude with the Tatra Fest in Zakopane, Poland, followed immediately by a historic milestone in the series: the Broken Arrow in California. As stages five and six of the World Cup, Broken Arrow promises to be one of the season’s defining weekends, featuring an exceptionally high-quality field and a course that blends elite-level racing with breathtaking scenery in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The 2025 edition of the Broken Arrow, fifth and sixth stage of the WMRA World Cup, is poised to become a landmark moment in U.S. mountain and trail running, with one of the sport’s biggest names—Kilian Jornet—set to compete in the highly anticipated Ascent Race this June in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.

Known for its rugged terrain, inclusion policies and festival atmosphere, Broken Arrow has cemented its place on the global mountain running calendar, and this year’s elite fields are deeper and more international than ever.

The Ascent—Broken Arrow’s vertical kilometer race—features 914 meters of vertical gain over just under 6.8 kilometers and draws some of the world’s fastest uphill runners. The men’s field this year is absolutely stacked. Alongside Jornet (Nnormal/ESP), fans can expect fireworks from the world champion in the discipline Patrick Kipngeno (Run2gether ON/KEN) and Joseph Gray (HOKA, USA).

European firepower comes in the form of Henri Aymonod (The North Face/ITA), one of the best vertical specialists in the world known for his technical speed and experience in the WMRA World Cup.

On the women’s side, Joyce Muthoni Njeru (ON/KEN) leads a world-class group of climbers. A dominant force in uphill racing, she’ll face strong North American stars such as Anna Gibson (Brooks) and Allie McLaughlin (HOKA), adding level, depth and experience to an already loaded field.

The action continues with the 23K, which features nearly 1,600 meters of elevation gain across alpine ridges, snowfields, and technical descents. This race, after Sierre-Zinal last years will be part of the WMRA World Cup and the Golden Trail World Series attracting many of the top names in the sport.

Among the elite men, Kenyan star Patrick Kipngeno (Run2gether ON/KEN), fellow team runner Philemon Kiriago (Run2gether ON/KEN), and Elhousine Elazzaoui (Nnormal/MAR) lead a fierce group that includes Swiss Rémi Bonnet (Salomon Red-Bull/CHE). The competition promises a thrilling battle between international champions and hungry U.S. up-and-comers.

The women’s 23K is equally competitive. Joyce Njeru (ON/KEN) will double up, competing in both the Ascent and the 23K race, joined by Romanian elite Monica Florea (Scott), British-American runner Tina Muir, and fast-rising American athletes Lauren Gregory, Janelle Lincks, and Kristen Emge. With such international variety, the women’s race is expected to be tightly contested and unpredictable from start to finish.

With over $60,000 in prize money and inclusion in both the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup and Golden Trail World Series, Broken Arrow has evolved into a cornerstone of the global mountain running circuit. The depth of the 2025 fields places it on equal footing with European giants like Zegama-Aizkorri and Sierre-Zinal, not only in athlete caliber but also in competitive intensity and international appeal.

What was once a passionate grassroots race in the Tahoe mountains is now a world-class event that brings together Olympic marathoners, world champions, and trailblazing young talents. The presence of legends like Kilian Jornet, coupled with rising stars and elite racers from around the world, promises one of the most exciting editions of Broken Arrow to date.