The Broken Arrow Skyrace has announced two new youth trail running races to the 2026 edition of its three-day trail racing festival on the high-alpine terrain of Palisades Tahoe resort.
Presented by Nike’s ACG brand, Trail Futures NTN (Nike Trail Nationals) are youth national championship-caliber mountain running events that will take place on the afternoon of June 19. Designed to encourage the development of the next generation of up-and-coming trail runners, Trail Futures NTN is being billed as the ultimate youth trail running experience.
Aimed at runners ages 10 to 20, Trail Futures NTN is an homage to the NXN (Nike Cross Nationals), an event established to support youth and high school cross country running in the U.S., and widely accepted as an unofficial national championship for high school teams. Similarly, Trail Futures NTN will serve as an incubator for future American trail running athletes, bringing together the best teams and individual runners from across the country.
Trail Futures NTN will showcase two distinct courses: The Kestrel, a 4.6-mile race with 1,400 feet of vertical gain for runners in the 10 to 13 age range, and The Eagle, a 10K race with 2,100 feet of vertical gain for 14- to 20-year-old runners. Both races will take place on the afternoon of June 19, allowing youth trail runners to compete against their peers and run on a unique course designed to showcase their talents.
“With the addition of Trail Futures NTN, our goal is to recognize and celebrate the physical achievements of all runners—not just adults,” said Broken Arrow Skyrace co-race director Brendan Madigan. “We believe the mountain running landscape is missing a meaningful, competitive youth event that elevates and inspires the next generation of emerging trail athletes.”
Launched ten years ago, the Broken Arrow Skyrace originally sought 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 importance of community, and the equal celebration of every runner.
In 2025, the Broken Arrow Skyrace welcomed more than 3,700 runners from 31 countries to the spectacular 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.
The 2026 Broken Arrow Skyrace will feature the largest total prize purse ($150,000) of any independent (non-corporate) trail race in the world and the largest winner’s purse ($30,000) of ANY trail race in the world. Winners of the flagship Broken Arrow 23K will take home $30,000, and winners of the Ascent and 46K races will take home $6,000 and $4,000, respectively.
RELATED: Broken Arrow Skyrace Boosts Prize Money, Inclusivity with Nike ACG Deal
RELATED: 5 Key Takeaways from the 2026 Cocodona 250 and How it Could Shape the Future of the Sport
RELATED: The 2026 Cocodona 250: Who’s Running, How to Watch It, Next Year’s Lottery, and more
RELATED: 5 Hot Takes About the 2026 Black Canyon Ultras
