The Broken Arrow Skyrace is raising the stakes in American trail running in 2026 with a record $150,000 in prize money and a multi-year sponsorship with legendary brand Nike ACG.
A record $150,000 prize purse will be distributed at the June 18-21 event this year.
The Broken Arrow Skyrace is raising the stakes in American trail running in 2026 with a record $150,000 in prize money at the four-day event at Palisades Tahoe ski resort in Olympic Valley, California, next June. But the influx in sponsorship money will also help enhance the nine-event trail running festival for every participant, race organizers say.
The new influx of prize money is made possible from the event’s new, multi-year sponsorship deal with Nike ACG. The prize purse will be distributed among top finishers in Broken Arrow’s three marquee races, the 23K, 46K, and the 3-mile Ascent with 3,100 feet of vertical gain. The men’s and women’s winners of the 23K will take home $30,000 apiece, while the Ascent and 46K winners will earn $6,000 and $4,000, respectively.
Registration for the nine races of the June 18-21 event will open at 9 a.m. PT on December 8.
The Nike ACG sponsorship will allow Broken Arrow to continue to support established and up-and-coming elite runners with complimentary race entries, travel stipends and lodging opportunities, said Broken Arrow Skyrace co-director Brendan Madigan, while also continuing other initiatives related to inclusivity and accessibility.
“We think the increase in prize money will draw an even deeper international field than we’ve already had,” Madigan said. “But we also want this to bring in competitive post-collegiate track and cross country runners, who might not usually race on trails because it lacks the impact of some of the big road races.”
The boost in prize money represents a 76.5 percent increase from the event’s $85,000 purse in 2025, and it surpasses the $100,000 distributed this year by the Run Rabbit Run trail races in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, as the biggest U.S. prize purse in the sport. It also means the Broken Arrow Skyrace has one of the biggest trail running prize payouts globally, and it comes on the heels of the Nike ACG’s recently announced new sponsorship of the Gorge Waterfalls trail races, which will have $75,000 in prize money in 2026.
For perspective the three championship races of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc Finals in Chamonix, France, have a combined $400,000 purse. The men’s and women’s winners of the main UTMB races receive approximately $24,000, while each of the winners of the CCC 100K and OCC 50K races each receive about $15,000.
Launched 10 years ago, the Broken Arrow Skyrace was founded to emulate iconic European mountain races like Sierre Zinal and Zegama-Aizkorri while simultaneously showcasing the culture, traditions, and values that have always characterized North American trail running — namely the grassroots vibes, the importance of community, and the equal celebration of every runner.
In 2025, the Broken Arrow Skyrace attracted roughly 3,700 runners from 31 countries to the Palisades Tahoe resort (previously Squaw Valley), home of the 1960 Winter Olympics, and was the only U.S. stop on the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) World Cup and Golden Trail World Series (GTWS). The 23K race will continue to serve as a WMRA World Cup race in 2026, and it might remain on the GTWS schedule, too.
In addition to the influx in prize money, the Broken Arrow partnership with Nike ACG will include the launch of Trail Futures NTN (Nike Trail Nationals), which is expected to be a “youth national championship-caliber event” to encourage the development of the next generation of up-and-coming trail runners. Aimed at runners ages 10 to 19, the NTN event is intended to be an incubator for next-generation trail running talent, and an homage to the NXN (Nike Cross Nationals) that was established in 2004 to support youth and high school cross country running in the U.S.
The new Nike ACG sponsorship will also allow Broken Arrow Skyrace to continue its commitment to adaptive, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and non-binary runners.
“This partnership is an example of how we can actually operationalize the goal of really creating an environment where everybody feels welcome,” said Broken Arrow co-race director Ethan Veneklasen. “We always say that whether you finish first or last, you are a rockstar. This isn’t just a motto for us; it is the central organizing ideal against which we judge every decision we make. We could not be more delighted to be partnering with ACG to further enshrine these values as our sport continues to evolve and become more professional.”
This partnership is an example of how we can actually operationalize the goal of really creating an environment where everybody feels welcome
Broken Arrow Co-Race Director, Ethan Veneklasen
Launched in 2025 — and developed in partnership with past race advisory council member and Paralympian Dani Aravich, and Born to Adapt founder, Zach Friedley — the Broken Arrow Skyrace Adaptive Athletes Program will support adaptive runners with 20 guaranteed entries to the 18K race.
The Broken Arrow Skyrace Inclusivity Initiative, launched in 2024, will be expanded to support BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and Non-Binary run clubs with complimentary entries to the 11K, 18K and 23K, travel stipends, and trail running shoes.
With the increased sponsorship, the event will also be increasing accessibility to on-mountain cheer zones, expanding its lactation stations, and will be offering limited childcare services.
“With this unprecedented investment, ACG is demonstrating its commitment to independent trail running events, and the authentic and rich impact that races like Broken Arrow have on trail culture at large,” Madigan said. “This partnership will allow us to continue to evolve from our current position as the most competitive trail running event in North America to one of the most competitive in the world—while simultaneously driving our sport toward greater inclusivity and innovation.”
