Broken Arrow was on my list as soon as I heard about this race. It was in 2019, and I immediately registered for it.
A little prehistory
Sky running, especially the vertical kilometer, has always been special for me. I love ultra runs, but my body is built for fast, short, and up. Unfortunately, living in Russia, the only type of skyrunning available to me was running up the stairs since we all lived in tall buildings. Skyrunning is usually any vertical race with an incline over 45% on stairs indoors or outdoors. I was third several times in the race for skyscrapers on the 100th floor. Running up the mountains or the stairs brings makes me happy. The first time I tried real skyrunning in 2014, I immediately got into line with Kilian and other top athletes. It was in the final of the Skyrunning World Cup LimoneXtreme , in Limone Sul Garda, in Italy, on Lake Garda. What is interesting about the vertical kilometer at LimoneXtreme is that it is a night race, and the elite pack starts after all the other runners run away. But when the elite reaches the top, everyone can see and support them. In general, it was an incredible experience, and of course, I would like to continue living only this way from that moment on, but life is life.
Today it’s an entirely different story; now, I have more experience running in the mountains. In 2020 my running form was good, and I had some high expectations for the Broken Arrow. Then you know the story. Covid, cancellation, rescheduled to October 2021. Unfortunately, for fall 2021, I had other plans. As a result, my dream came true only in 2022; one can say more than three years after registering for the race. Unfortunately, in 2021 everything went wrong in our life. As a result, we had to miss the ski season, and a lot of stress generally did not make training more effective. As a result, in June 2022, I came up in my worst running form in many years. Without a single trail workout or uphill run and several injuries since December 2021, the worst moment hit me in March 2022, and it is just starting to let me go now. Only the race does not care how you trained.
Vertical kilometer, Friday, June 17, 2022
Six kilometers up almost a kilometer elevation gain, the start was at 1.30 in the afternoon. Warm summer in the mountains only begins at the end of June, and the weather is still fresh, although the sun is already hot.
The mountains come to life after the winter; although everything is already green, the dumber the snow still sometimes falls and lies in the mountains. Since climate change is being felt everywhere, winters in California are less snowy than before. Runners begin to gather in Olympic Valley on Thursday evening. Runners are always very easy to distinguish from people who come just to spend a day in the mountains. I love watching restaurants fill up with joggers with families, dogs, and friends. Runners move along a certain route in a small square in the center. First, they pick up the number and packages of participants, then they go and buy something at a small expo. Then there are physical tasks like going to the toilet and eating. The start was moved to 1.30 am from 11 am as it is windy in the valley these days. The vertical kilometer is not the most popular race in this weekend’s race series. It seems that anything that is not ultra distance in the mountains does not command respect from runners so far. The majority of the runners are those who want to compete for a place at the World Championships from the United States, who run all three races in three days, or those who are interested in what a vertical kilometer is.
On the vertical kilometer, there is no start arch, everyone runs up the grassy field and then, after a kilometer they go to the single path. I enjoy good weather, warm sun, and a start time in the middle of the day, but this is until I have to run up a steep hill on the grass. It was unexpected.
A massive grass start in a steep mountain turned out to be more difficult than I expected. It seems that I need to run, but I don’t have power in my legs at all; I understand that soon there will be a single trail, and then I won’t be able to overtake anyone, but I don’t feel the strength in myself to do it now on the hill. I decided to stay in the group and just enjoy. I got a lot of fun from running uphill, from changing landscapes due to the elevation difference, and from the incredible energy of this race. This energy is so lacking in ultramarathons, where everything is often very sad. The course, the mood, the weather, everything is great during this race. We climb to the highest point of the Olympic Valley Peak, commonly known as “Squaw Peak.” To overcome this point and go down further, you need to climb the famous iron stairs. It seems that all the participants are just waiting for this moment – the stairs. The closer we are to the peak, the stronger the voices of people near the stairs are heard. A large support group and volunteers are waiting for the runners. Gradually making our way through the stones and climbing higher and higher already to the level of snow, we can see the stairs and the finish line. The iron staircase looks the same excitation as in the photo. Volunteers help the runners, and a photographer sitting on a cliff on a stone captures every moments. After the iron staircase, a snow staircase leads to the finish line, no less exciting than the iron one. There are many runners at the top and a very festive atmosphere.
Having reached the top, we went down on foot. I must say that the descent was more difficult than the ascent, and it was no longer possible to keep the legs fresh for the next race day on Sunday for me and Saturday and Sunday for lots of people.
52K, 11K, and Iron Challenge Saturday, June 18, 2022
On Saturday, the entire valley is filled with runners; the start of 52 kilometers is scheduled for 7 am, and 11 kilometers run at 8 am. 52 kilometers is two laps of about 23 kilometers each. The route and actual distance is different every year due to maintenance work and terrain changes, but the organizers say the difficulty and vibe are the same every year. On Saturday morning, it is still fresh; many runners are dressed warmly enough. Also, on Saturday starts, the race is called the Iron Challenge. This is a run and a climbing adventure; only a few dozen runners are allowed to participate in this race, making it the most expensive of the entire series. While the 52K and 11K runners are running somewhere on the other side of the mountain at their finish area, the Race Director is ringing the bell to draw the spectator’s attention to the first Iron Challenge starter. One person holds the start of this discipline in a few minutes, and for each athlete race director rings the bell. The weather is not stable; as always in the mountains, the clouds begin to gather at the top. Runners who complete the first lap and go for the second lap begin to return to the valley. It’s an unbelievably fast race; by the time the first places finish the race, some runners will only have completed the first lap. The leaders run downhill like crazy incredible speeds for mountain running. The pink-numbered runners are those who run all three races in three days – the vertical kilometer on Friday, the 52km double lap on Saturday, and the 26km lap on Sunday, the same lap as the double on Saturday. You need to have a strong enough mental side to run in the same place three days in a row. White crumbs fell from the clouds, and all runners were thrilled with the snow, even though, for some, such weather makes the second lap much more difficult mentally. While some runners complete the first lap, the spectators greet the winners. The valley is filled with people, mostly runners, so the atmosphere they create is very light, sporty, and fun. Little by little, all the restaurants are filled with runners, those who ran today or will run tomorrow; everyone needs to replenish their energy supply.
26K, Sunday, June 19, 2022
The weather should be sunny and cloudless today. The morning seems a little frosty, but as soon as the first rays of the sun appear, it immediately becomes warm. 26 kilometers is the main start of this weekend. Runners gather in the main square under the arch. The race will be fast, maybe even faster than Saturday, as the World Championship ticket is at stake; every runner wants to be able to go to the World Championship from the country. Therefore, all pro runners came to this race in the best shape and with serious intentions. The question is open, who will go to the World Cup? It will definitely not be me. For me, this is just a warm-up and a test of my abilities. Vasya also decided to run, despite the fact that he was also registered for the race back in 2019, his number was not transferred to 2022, so he decided to run as a bandit.
The previous days of active running and hiking made themselves felt today. This time I managed to speed up and get a little ahead; I only immediately felt the calves on the first climb. Each step was given to me pain, but nothing prevented me from enjoying the race. This is very beautiful and interesting course, not only talking about stunning views, but also elevation. You decently do not get bored here because you climb up most of the time or run down hills as fast as possible. Before you reach the summit it is mostly uphills, but after you see try runable fire road and can speed up. Somewhere after the summit, my legs finally started feel ready to run, but time was already lost. I was able speed up at down hills and this fact surprised me a lot, usually I am the slowest turtle on downhills. This time I did my best. I want to say that the AID stations were excellent, at each point I took gel (springs are the best) and water. I usually don’t eat a lot of gels because I think it will be too many calories. This time it seems that she set a record and ate a lot of gels, nothing to regret. On the last station I drank cola and it helped me to accelerate when I ran down. The only thing, judging by the statistics on the stations, I spent more time than necessary. Something to work on next time. As I said earlier, the race is interesting, varied, beautiful, moderately difficult and very well organized.
Despite my failures in these races, I enjoyed the organization, the people, and the atmosphere. I can say that this event is probably my favorite now. I would like more fast, short, brutal and at the same time crowded races. Europe has a huge advantage in this regard over the United States. Since all races in Europe take place in mountains with different settlements, the support denied to runners there is incredible; in the United States, on the other hand, almost all races take place in wild, untouched and protected areas, which makes the races deserted and quiet.
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