Vincent Bouillard of France and American Katie Schide have claimed victories at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in Chamonix, showcasing their unique approach to conquering the coveted race.

The 176.4km showpiece began on Friday afternoon, with around 2,300 competitors tackling a demanding route. They encircled the Mont-Blanc, featuring nearly 10,000 metres of elevation gain and several high-altitude passes over 2,500 metres before crossing the finish line on Saturday.

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In one of the most remarkable and unexpected breakthroughs in the race’s storied history, Bouillard crossed the finish line in 19:54:23, becoming only the fifth person to break the 20-hour barrier, with nearly a half-hour lead over the rest of the field.

The 31-year-old Frenchman seized the lead before the midway point of the 176km race, as reigning champion Jim Walmsley withdrew due to a knee issue. From that moment on, he never looked back, steadily widening the gap between himself and his rivals. Fellow Frenchman Baptiste Chassagne took second place, while Ecuador’s Joaquin Lopez secured third.

At the finish line in Chamonix, Vincent Bouillard stood in disbelief, hands on his head, before smiling at the crowd—he had done it. “Winning UTMB was never something I expected,” said Bouillard, a former track and field athlete turned trail runner. “I’ve been coming to this race for work since nearly the beginning, but winning it was only ever in my wildest dreams.”

Walmsley, who was aiming for a double victory in his sixth participation in the race, retired after about nine hours and 83 km of racing due to a knee injury. Other serious candidates for the podium among the men did the same, notably the Frenchman Mathieu Blanchard, also injured, Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz, Germain Grangier and the British Tom Evans. Among the women, Anne-Lise Rousset also gave up, victim of a cold at the beginning of the evening. Full results

Schide’s masterclass in warm-weather racing

In the women’s race, Schide delivered a record-breaking performance, claiming her second UTMB title.

The French-based American led the race consistently, breaking Courtney Dauwalter’s 2021 record with a time of 22:09:31. With this victory, Schide now joins Dauwalter (2023) and Nikki Kimball (2007) as the only female runners to win both Western States and UTMB in the same year.

As she sped through the final stages to rapturous applause in Chamonix, her masterclass in warm-weather racing cemented her place among the sport’s greats. Schide shared in a post-race interview on the UTMB broadcast that her victory two years ago provided her with valuable context.

“I approached this race with more confidence in myself, and I wasn’t surprised by my speed,” she explained. “Back in 2022, I was a bit shocked, thinking, ‘I didn’t really mean to do that.’ But this time, it was intentional. I was focused on giving it my all without completely burning out at the end.”

She took the lead early, extending it to 50 minutes by the 101km mark. Her margin slightly decreased towards the end due to a slight limp, as she descended towards Chamonix. However, she maintained her lead despite a strong challenge from Canadian Marianne Hogan and New Zealander Ruth Croft.

Hogan, despite dislocating a finger in a fall, made it to the podium again this year. Croft, aiming to become the first woman to win OCC, CCC, and UTMB, overtook Hogan on the final climb but finished nearly 40 minutes behind the winner.