Eli Hemming of the US and Miao Yao of China made history at the UTMB World Series Finals on Thursday, each achieving groundbreaking victories in the 57km OCC race (Orsières-Champex-Chamonix) in their respective sections.

Despite a second-place finish at last year’s Mont-Blanc Marathon, Hemming’s victory was particularly impressive given that it was his first-ever appearance at the UTMB showcase.

In the women’s section, Yao became the first Chinese woman to claim victory in the UTMB OCC race, setting a new course record of 5 hours, 54 minutes and 3 seconds. Yao, who came in third in the same race last year, finished over 6 minutes ahead of her competitors. Results…

Hemming took control of the race midway, making a decisive move up the Col de Balme, where he built a lead of nearly ten minutes. Despite a strong late push from Italy’s Francesco Puppi, who narrowed the gap, Hemming held on to win with a time of 5 hours, 11 minutes, and 48 seconds. Puppi finished second, 2 minutes and 58 seconds behind, while Spain’s Antonio Martinez Perez took third, three minutes further back.

Starting at 8:15 am, the race heated up as temperatures soared into the 20s. Christian Allen set a fast early pace, reaching Champex-Lac first with a 34-second lead. Hemming trailed closely, with Puppi in ninth, just over a minute behind in a tightly packed top ten.

By the third aid station at Trient after 24km, Hemming had climbed to second place. The pivotal moment came during the ascent to Col de Balme at 2,203 metres, where Hemming surged into the lead with a 6-minute and 30-second advantage over Martinez Perez. Puppi steadily advanced through the field.

At the Argentière checkpoint, with 12 km remaining, Hemming’s lead remained around nine minutes. However, exhaustion began to set in on the final climb to La Flégère, allowing Puppi to cut the gap in half. Despite struggling and nearing collapse, Hemming maintained his composure and secured a historic victory, setting a new course record. Reflecting on his achievement, Hemming admitted he faced moments of doubt but ultimately prevailed.

“I knew that if I had a good gap at Argentière, unless I blew up—which I did a little bit—I could hold on. I heard I had almost ten minutes, but on the final climb to La Flégère, I was really feeling the heat, and it started to get overwhelming. I had to focus on just keeping going and reaching the summit.”

Hemming, who transitioned from triathlon to trail running just three years ago, has quickly established himself as a force in the sport. His previous career included seven victories and 15 podium finishes, with his most recent triathlon win at the 2019 Tiszaujvaros ITU Triathlon World Cup.

Miao sets new course record

Yao surpassed her competitors by over six minutes. Her victory comes after a third-place finish in the same race last year and a win at the 100km UTMB CCC in 2018. Her decisive move on the ascent from Trient to the Col de Balme, the highest point on the 57km course, showcased her strength despite the high temperatures.

Yao expressed her excitement about the victory, appreciating the stunning mountain views and overcoming the heat. She mentioned the possibility of returning to compete in the 100-mile UTMB race, which she had previously attempted in 2019 without finishing, once she turns 30. Yao’s achievements in the OCC and CCC place her among elite athletes like Ruth Croft, who is also aiming for a UTMB victory to complete her impressive list of achievements.

Judith Wyder of Switzerland took second place, and Clémentine Geoffray from France finished third. Wyder, who fell near Chamonix, managed to recover and maintain a two-minute lead over Geoffray. Yao’s strategic ascent left her competitors far behind, particularly as the top 20 women were initially bunched closely together.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s Sunmaya Budha completed the race in 4 hours, 33 minutes and 47 seconds to finish 13 out of 434 female starters. This was her debut in the 50K OCC category and her fifth overall appearance in Chamonix. In 2022, she finished second in the 100K CCC, following a seventh-place finish in the 100K (2017), tenth in the 50K (2018), and 32nd in the 50K (2019) in Mont-Blanc marathons. (With inputs from UTMB)