The Broken Arrow Skyrace is a part of the US Skyrunner Series. The goal of these races is to run up steep mountains, accumulating lots of vert, and generally at higher elevations. The 54k is roughly a 33 mile race with ~11,000’ of elevation gain. I was no longer in rolling mountains of middle Tennessee.

Race morning came very early, a 4AM wakeup for a 6AM race start. It was a chilly morning, with temps in the upper 30’s down in the Valley. I was completely at ease, confident in my training, knowing that I was ready to tackle the challenge. From the start line it was an immediate 2,500’ climb up to High Camp. From there the relentlessly steep climbs and descents never stopped. There were very few flat areas on the course. Lots of snow fields and technical trail. The steep ascents were slow, especially through the snow fields, and steep downs were the time to let gravity do its work. The views were incredible. Above tree line were wide open views of Lake Tahoe and the valley below. The snow fields, rock hopping, scree field navigation, route finding and ladder climbing at Squaw Peak were a welcomed change from the races that I typically do. Thankfully, I got to see Sara and Abe at the Start/Finish line aid station around Mile 10 and then again at High Camp around Mile 20. Always a morale booster. Thankfully, the altitude seemed to have little effect on my day overall. The race started out at around 6,200’ and topped out around 9,000 which is a far cry from 500’ above sea level in Nashville.

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