Broken Arrow 23K: Carrie Dion Owns the F70+ Field

• Sole finisher and champion: Carrie Dion, 73, of Los Gatos, CA — crossed in 5:41:43 at 23:55/mi average.
• Steady climber through the field: Dion moved from 387th to 348th among women by the fifth checkpoint, gaining 39 places on the way up.
• Strong on Siberia→High Camp: Her split on that segment ranked 315th among all women in the race.

Carrie Dion didn't just finish the Broken Arrow 23K — she was the F70+ field, and she made it count. At 73 years old, she navigated a course that climbs to nearly 8,834 feet above sea level, where the thinner air at elevation can turn every uphill into a genuine test of will and aerobic reserve. She crossed in 5:41:43, a time that represents real work on a mountain course that doesn't spare anyone.

What makes her run worth studying is the trajectory through the women's field. Dion was moving — not holding steady, not fading, but picking people off. From 387th at the first checkpoint, she worked her way up to 348th by the fifth, a gain of 39 places on the women's leaderboard. That kind of sustained forward motion over a 23K mountain course speaks to disciplined pacing rather than an early blowup.

She did give back a handful of those places on the final stretch, slipping from 348th to 356th among women at the finish — a small fade that's easy to forgive on a course this demanding. Her Siberia→High Camp split, ranking 315th among women, shows she was competitive and present on one of the race's signature climbs. On a day with clear skies and mild temperatures at 58°F, conditions were as kind as Broken Arrow gets — and Dion used them.