Thibault Marquet and Marie Dohin showcased French excellence with resounding victories in the TDS at the UTMB Mont-Blanc. Click here to follow live from start to finish.

The 148 km race, notorious for its punishing 9,306 metres of elevation gain, pushed 1,874 runners to their limits after a tough start in Courmayeur on Monday evening. As temperatures soared, Marquet surged ahead, crossing the finish line in 18 hours, 59 minutes, and 36 seconds, nearly an hour ahead of fellow Frenchmen Alban Berson and Gautier Airiau.

Marquet, a local from Beaufortain, expressed his elation, taking pride in his dominant performance. “It was flowing, an amazing day! I’m proud that I won this race in this way.”

On the women’s side, Savoy’s Marie Dohin triumphed with a time of 24:06:01, outpacing Switzerland’s Ariane Wilhem and France’s Céline Finas. Delighted with her unexpected victory, Dohin praised the beauty of Beaufortain, which she fully appreciated for the first time during the daytime.

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Meanwhile, Chamonix hosted the YCC and MCC races, each covering 15 km, setting the stage for Thursday’s highly anticipated OCC.

The OCC marks the beginning of the UTMB World Series Finals and promises a thrilling showcase of elite trail running talent. Covering 57 km with a 3,500-meter elevation gain, the OCC offers participants breathtaking views of the Val d’Entremont in western Valais, Switzerland.

The route, which starts in Orsières and passes through Champex-Lac and Trient, takes runners through picturesque French towns and delivers stunning vistas of the eastern Mont-Blanc massif. Highlights include the steep climb to La Flégère and the panoramic view of the Aiguilles de Chamonix from the Col de Balme, before the final descent into the heart of Chamonix.