Chamonix is currently vibrating to the rhythm of the UTMB. For its 22nd edition, the queen race of alpine trail-running is setting up an exceptional field, with the return from legends and new outsiders. François D’Haene, Courtney Dauwalter, Ludovic Pommeret, Camille Bruyas, Jonathan Albon or Ruth Croft, who will put their name top of these 174 kilometers this year?
On the 29th of August, in Chamonix, will take place THE most famous trail running race in the world: the Ultra-trail du Mont Blanc. 174 kilometers, 9900 meters of elevation gain and 46 hours and 45 minutes maximum to cross the finish line. And on the starting line, a lot of big names are present every year. For this 22nd edition, who took their bib? Who is currently preparing their socks to avoid blisters, their cap to counter a possible rainy weather?
The holders of the titles are Vincent Bouillard and Katie Schide, remember! One won with a new women’s record of 22 hours and 9 minutes (20 minutes less than the previous record set by Courtney Dauwalter) while the other, then almost unknown in the field, passed under the 20-hour mark with a final time of 19:54. The French Germain Grangier, Mathieu Blanchard and Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz had given up, just like Jim Walmsley, injured.
The UTMB passes the Col de Voza in front of Mont Blanc. ©JC
François D’haene, Ludovic Pommeret, Jonathan Albon…
the men’s race is likely to be spectacular
But this year, everything is set clean again. For the second consecutive year, Kilian Jornet will not participate. Last year, he climbed all 82 4000-meters peaks in the Alpes, in only 19 days. And for 2025? Starting at the beginning of September, he’ll run across the 14,000-foot (4,267 m) peaks of the United States – called the Fourteeners.
Ludovic Pommeret, is present and in great shape after a very nice victory at the Hardrock 100 in Colorado. Let’s not forget that he won the UTMB in 2016 in 22 hours, going from 53rd to 1st place. By his side in the leading pack will surely be Ben Dhiman, Daniel Jones, Germain Grangier, Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz, Théo Etienne, Jean-Philippe Tschumi, Tom Evans, Hayden Hawks and Ji Duo. And, without a doubt, the British Jonathan Albon, with the highest UTMB rating (at 926).
Another key element: the return of François D’Haene to try to win this mythical race a fifth time and become the most titled in history – Kilian Jornet also won the UTMB 4 times. The Frenchman had finished first in 2012 on a shortcut course at 103km, in 2014 at 20h11, in 2017 on a modified course and in 2021 on a «usual» course at 20h45. The race on the men’s side therefore remains very open!
UTMB 2024. ©JC
Among women too, the level remains very high. But the Dauwalter-Schide duo will not (still) take place this year. Since Katie Schide didn’t take a bib, Courtney Dauwalter is the outright favorite for this edition. She will surely try to beat her 2023 time (of 23:29), or even to do better than the women’s record of 22:09. Courtney Dauwalter had finished first in 2023, in 2021 in 10 hours 30 min and in 2019 in 24 hours and 34 minutes.
Her rivals are Katharina Hartmuth (2nd in 24:10 in 2023), Camille Bruyas (2nd in 24:09 in 2021), Ruth Croft (2nd in 22:48 in 2024), Abby Hall who won the Western States 2025 in 16:37 and takes her first bib for the Chamonix event this year.
Courtney Dauwalter, Ruth Croft et Camille Bruyas
in favorites among women
But the UTMB in Chamonix is also a trail running event with several key distances. The PTL – Petite trotte à Léon – with its original concept (no markup), its 300 km, its 25,000 meters of elevation gain and its different route each year – allows to “discover the richness and diversity of the French, Italian and Swiss paths of the Mont-Blanc massif.“
The CCC, 101 km and 6050 m of positive elevation gain, also expects a significant plateau of runners. It’s surely going to be historic on the female side with the American Toni McCann, the French Blandine L’Hirondel and the Norwegian Yngvild Kaspersen.
For the race of 57 km and 3500 meters of elevation gain – the OCC – the American Jim Walmsley positions himself as the favorite. The winner of UTMB 2023 is testing himself on a shorter format where his speed should serve him well. He will fight with (or against) the Swiss Roberto Delorenzi, skyrunning specialist, and the Italian Nadir Maguet.