UTMB Chamonix Live | News, Gear Drops & Race Week Updates
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Timeline :
August 29 | Ben Dhiman and Blandine L'Hirondel wins UTMB 2026. Rachel Entrekin as runner-up.
August 28 | Dauwalter and Bouillard withdraws from UTMB race during the race.
August 28 | Yngvild Kaspersen and Cristian Minoggio wins CCC.
August 27 | Henriette Albon withdraws from UTMB due to food poisoning.
August 27 | Frédéric Tranchand and Lauren Gregory conquers OCC
August 26 | Defending champion Ruth Croft withdraws from UTMB
August 26 | Taylor Stack and Marie Nivet claim ETC victories
August 25 | TDS is underway. (Live updates below.)
August 25 | Tove Alexandersson withdraws from OCC
August 24 | UTMB week officially begins
Race week is underway in Chamonix as thousands of runners, crews and spectators arrive beneath Mont Blanc. The Ultra-Trail Village opens its doors today, while the first race of the week, the MCC, is also on the schedule.
Over the coming days, the town will host more than 10,000 runners across eight races, alongside one of the biggest trail running expos in the world.
August 23 | Nepal runner Sunmaya Budha has to withdraw from the UTMB.
August 22 | adidas unveils the new Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra Evo. (Read more)
August 22 | Salomon athletes spotted testing unreleased S/LAB gear.
August 21 | Jim Walmsley officially withdrawn from UTMB.
August 20 | Kilian Jornet withdraws from UTMB due to injury.
Live Update | UTMB wide open after overnight drama
The UTMB has been turned on its head overnight.
Pre-race favourites Courtney Dauwalter and defending champion Vincent Bouillard have both abandoned the race, leaving the battle for victory wide open heading into the second half.
In the men's race, American Ben Dhiman has emerged as the new race leader after reaching La Fouly (114 km) in 11:36:37. France's Baptiste Chassagne follows around 25 minutes behind, with Ecuador's Joaquin Lopez running third. Germany's Hannes Namberger remains within striking distance in fifth as the race heads towards Champex-Lac.
The women's race is also taking shape.
France's Blandine L'Hirondel continues to lead after 99 kilometres, opening a solid gap over American Rachel Entrekin, while Careth Arnold has moved into third. Australia's Lucy Bartholomew and American Abby Hall remain inside the top ten with many of the race's decisive climbs still to come.
There is also encouraging news for Norway.
Mari Klakegg Fenre continues to hold a place inside the women's top ten, while Anne Sofie Pollestad is running an impressive 12th overall in the women's race, keeping herself firmly in contention for a career-best UTMB result.
With more than 70 kilometres still remaining, the race is far from decided.
Live Update | 13:00
Live Update | Yngvild Kaspersen storms to CCC victory after stunning comeback
What a performance from Yngvild Kaspersen.
The Norwegian produced one of the most impressive comeback runs of UTMB Finals week to win CCC 2026 in 12:01:14.
Kaspersen was well off the lead through the opening third of the race as Toni McCann and Miao Yao dictated the pace over Grand Col Ferret. Rather than responding early, the adidas athlete stayed patient, gradually closing the gap through the second half of the course before moving into the lead on the final climbs towards Chamonix.
She crossed the line just five minutes ahead of McCann, completing a remarkable turnaround after last year's CCC ended in disappointment with a DNF.
McCann held on for second in 12:06:14, while Miao Yao is set to complete the podium.
For Kaspersen, it is without question the biggest victory of her trail running career and another major statement after finishing runner-up at Chianti Ultra Trail earlier this season.
Live Update | Minoggio wins CCC after late charge through Chamonix
The men's race at CCC has its winner.
Italy's Cristian Minoggio stormed through the second half of the race to claim victory in 10:21:48, overtaking the early leaders and holding off Portugal's Miguel Arsenio, who finished second in 10:27:25.
American Hans Troyer, who spent much of the day at the front alongside Eli Hemming, completed the podium in 10:33:29 after an aggressive opening half.
Behind the podium, Britain's Luke Grenfell-Shaw continued his impressive season with fourth place, while Simon Paccard, Daniel Jones, Guillaume Tiphene and Ji Duo all secured top-eight finishes in one of the deepest CCC fields in recent years.
One of the biggest surprises was Minoggio himself. The Italian veteran stayed within striking distance throughout the day before producing the decisive move after Trient, turning a tightly packed race into one of the biggest wins of his career.
Live Update: Frédéric Tranchand conquers OCC as Bonnet abandons
The OCC delivered another dramatic day in Chamonix.
French veteran Frédéric Tranchand (Merrell) claimed victory after covering the 61.4 km course in 5:10:08, finishing ahead of Kenya's Nashon Kiplimo (+4:29) and Spain's Miguel Benítez (+7:35).
One of the biggest stories came before the finish.
Pre-race favourite Rémi Bonnet was forced to abandon the race after struggling during the opening stages, removing one of the strongest climbers in the field from contention.
For Norway, it wasn't the breakthrough many had hoped for.
Jonas Hesthaug produced the strongest Norwegian performance, finishing 39th overall after another solid international showing. Jørgen Jevne followed in 47th, while Petter Engdahl, usually among the leading names in mountain running, crossed the line well outside the front group after an unusually difficult day.
In the women's race, Lauren Gregory took victory in a thrilling finish, edging Britain's Naomi Lang by just three seconds (6:08:07 vs. 6:08:10). Spain's Sara Alonso completed the podium.
Norway also celebrated a strong result as Ida Amalie Robsahm finished 5th woman, continuing what has already been an impressive breakthrough season.
Live Update | August 26 | 10.30
Defending champion Ruth Croft withdraws from UTMB
The women's race has suffered a major blow just two days before the start, with defending champion Ruth Croft announcing she will not race this year's UTMB.
The New Zealander revealed that, despite feeling fitter than ever, her "heart and mind want to be elsewhere." Croft said the decision was difficult but ultimately the right one, adding that she wants to save her best efforts for when she is fully committed.
Her withdrawal removes the reigning champion from one of the strongest women's fields in recent memory and leaves the race even more open heading into Friday's start. Courtney Dauwalter, Rachel Entrekin, Henriette Albon, Blandine L'Hirondel, Riley Brady and Fu-Zhao Xiang now move further into the spotlight as contenders for the title.
Live Update | August 26 | 08:15
Taylor Stack and Marie Nivet claim ETC victories
The second race of UTMB week is in the books, with Taylor Stack and Marie Nivet taking victory in the fast and technical ETC (Experience Trail Courmayeur).
Representing Brooks, American Taylor Stack covered the 15-kilometre course with 1,200 metres of climbing in 1:19:23, finishing 50 seconds ahead of France's Romain Discher. Spain's Jan Torrella Oller completed the podium after another strong performance during an impressive 2026 season.
In the women's race, France's Marie Nivet produced a commanding display to win in 1:34:20. Swiss runner Axelle Genoud finished second, while Italy's Vivien Bonzi secured the final podium spot.
Although ETC is one of the shortest races of UTMB week, its steep profile and relentless pace continue to attract some of the world's strongest mountain runners, offering an explosive start before attention shifts to OCC, CCC and Friday's UTMB.
LIVE UPDATES | TDS
August 25 | 22:15
Rémy Brassac claims victory after dramatic finish to TDS
Rémy Brassac produced a strong finish to win the 2026 edition of TDS, crossing the line in Chamonix in 19:28:43.
For much of the race, Clovis Chaverot looked in control after leading through several key checkpoints. However, Brassac turned the tables in the closing stages to secure one of the biggest victories of his trail running career.
France dominated the race, with Pierre-Adrien Hivert taking second in 20:14:26, while Italy's Davide Rivero completed the podium in 20:42:43.
August 25 | 22:55
Sarah Vieuille dominates the women's race
There was no late drama in the women's race as Sarah Vieuille converted an early lead into a convincing TDS victory.
Representing Team KIPRUN, the French runner crossed the finish line in 22:08:16, finishing ninth overall in an outstanding performance.
Fellow French runner Alice Meignié secured second place, with American Alyssa Clark rounding out the podium in third.
Vieuille's victory marks one of the strongest performances of the opening days of UTMB week and firmly establishes her among France's leading trail runners.
August 25 | 13:50
NEWSFLASH | Tove Alexandersson withdraws from OCC
One of the pre-race favourites for OCC, Tove Alexandersson, has announced she will not start this year's race.
The Swedish trail and orienteering star revealed on Instagram that she is still recovering from a bacterial stomach infection she contracted in Chamonix. Although she has recently returned to the mountains for easy training with the Salomon team in Val Cenis, she and her team decided that racing 60 kilometres with ongoing stomach issues would be too great a risk.
Alexandersson says she will now leave the Alps to focus on recovery before returning to competition later this season.
NEWSFLASH | adidas Unveils the Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra Evo
Chamonix, France — adidas has officially unveiled the Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra Evo during UTMB week, introducing what is arguably its most ambitious trail running shoe to date.
Inspired by the record-breaking Adizero Adios Pro Evo, the new racer weighs around 250 grams, features a dual-layer LIGHTSTRIKE PRO midsole, a Continental Rubber outsole and carries a premium €500 price tag.
According to adidas, the shoe delivers increased energy return while reducing weight compared to the Agravic Speed Ultra 2, although those claims are yet to be independently verified.
The launch marks another sign that brands are bringing road racing innovation to the trails, with super shoes becoming an increasingly important part of elite ultrarunning.
The Agravic Speed Ultra Evo is expected to make its racing debut during UTMB week in Chamonix.
NEWSFLASH | Francesco Puppi announces new documentary ahead of OCC
Just days before lining up at OCC, Francesco Puppi has announced the premiere of ONE STEP AT A TIME, a new documentary reflecting on his journey through Western States 100.
Rather than focusing on results, the film explores the uncertainty, setbacks and self-doubt that shaped his season, with Puppi describing Western States as a more honest representation of the challenges endurance athletes face than the near-perfect race he experienced at CCC in 2025.
The documentary will premiere in Chamonix on Thursday, August 27 at 4:30 p.m., shortly after Bouillard's OCC race.
NEWSFLASH | BEN DHIMAN releases short film before UTMB
Follow Ben Dhimans motivation, obession and preperations to win the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc. Extraordinary shots, take a look!
NEWSFLASH | Short film from Raide Research before Henriette Albons UTMB
“On August 28th, 2026, Henriette Albon lines up for her first race around Mont-Blanc. To find success here, it takes finding balance, taking risks, and a willingness to fail. Because there’s only one person who will win when everything goes 100% perfectly.
This short film captures Henriette at home during her final training block leading up to the race.”
