Retired U.S. cross-country skiing star Jessie Diggins proved she can suffer just as well without skis, finishing fourth overall in the women’s Broken Arrow Triple Crown in Palisades Tahoe, California, this weekend. The Triple Crown combines three grueling races over three days, totaling 75 kilometers (46.6 miles) and 16,340 feet (4,980 meters) of climbing. Diggins completed the event in a combined time of 9:17:09 hours, which put her in fourth place, 45 minutes behind winner Jazmine Lowther of Canada. “I’ve never been more aware of my toenails threatening to abandon ship,” Diggins joked after crossing the finish line.
Women’s Triple Crown Results
- Jazmine Lowther (Canada) — 8:31:37
- Leah Yingling (USA) — 8:39:48
- Liz Hogan (USA) — 8:55:14
- Jessie Diggins (USA) — 9:17:09
Diggins, who retired from competitive cross-country skiing this year following the 2025-26 season, appeared to enjoy the challenge despite the suffering that comes with three consecutive days of mountain racing. “Survived day 3 at Broken Arrow and somehow managed to run the downhills facing, um, downhill this year,” Diggins wrote on Instagram. “75km and 16,340 ft of climbing over 3 days is no joke, but the amazing race crew, insane cheering and many many high fives made it a fun time!”
The 34-year-old remains the most successful American cross-country skier — male or female. Across her 15 years at the sport’s top level, Diggins amassed four Olympic medals, including most recently at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy, where she won a bronze in the 10km freestyle event. She earned 31 individual World Cup victories and stood on 89 World Cup podiums, achievements that make her the most successful U.S. cross-country skier of all time. In 2021, she became only the second American to win the overall FIS Crystal Globe, and remains the only non-European athlete to have won the overall FIS Crystal Globe four times.
The Broken Arrow Sky Race is a multi-day trail running event held in Olympic Valley, California, that brings together elite and recreational athletes across a range of distances, from short vertical climbs to the demanding 50km and 75km “Triple Crown” combined format. Known for its steep alpine terrain, fast descents, and high-altitude racing around Palisades Tahoe, the event has become one of the most competitive and scenic mountain running festivals in North America, often drawing crossover endurance athletes from skiing and other mountain sports.
While Diggins’ competitive skiing career may be over, it is clear she has no plans to slow down. For a skier accustomed to grinding through World Cup races and Olympic courses, three days of steep Sierra Nevada trail running apparently felt like a natural next challenge. Following the race weekend, she headed straight to Washington, D.C., with Protect Our Winters to advocate for climate action.
