UK Runners 1st & 3rd at UTMB: This Week's Trail Tally

A crisp Saturday morning for UTMB runners © UTMB World Series

Chasing Trails: Week 36

UTMB week has come and gone with some of the most exciting racing we’ve seen in years. Challenging weather conditions led to course changes earlier in the week, a particularly tough first night at the UTMB (with lots of lead runners abandoning in the snow and hail), and history-making British success. We held our breath as Kris Jones claimed 5th in the OCC in a crazy fast race under the rain, cheered for Naomi Lang’s 3rd in the ETC, and were glued to trackers as Tom Evans and Josh Wade emerged 1st and 3rd in the UTMB. So many more stories unfolded behind them, from the elite to the amateur field. A week to remember and be inspired by!

- Kate Parker, Director - Founder

Historic British 1st & 3rd at UTMB Men’s Race

The Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc flagship event (174 km, 9,900 m of ascent) delivered nail-biting racing this year, among very challenging conditions that saw impressive levels of attrition in the elite field. The UK’s Tom Evans and Josh Wade claimed the first and third positions on the podium, a historic result for British men (notably, the best UK results at the UTMB were in 2010 when Jez Bragg and Lizzie Hawker both won on a weather-shortened course).

Inclement weather forced the organisation to change the full UTMB course in order to avoid what was announced as a very tough first night over the high peaks. The race started 15 minutes early and bypassed a notoriously technical and exposed Col des Pyramides Calcaires. However, runners still endured heavy rain on the Friday night (for the first half of the route for the elites), which turned into hail and snow over the 2,330 m high Col du Bonhomme. By the time the first runners descended into Italy at the Courmayeur aid station, Tom Evans was in second place, using the more runnable Italian trails to move into first before the 100 km mark. He finished the race with a lead of 32 minutes over American Ben Dhiman, in 19:18:58.

Josh Wade ran a measured race, consistently moving up the field and into the top 10 through the snow up the Col du Bonhomme. Descending into Switzerland at the 115 km mark, he was in fifth place, then securing third through the 128 km aid station at Champex-Lac. He would hold on to this spot and cross the finish line in Chamonix in 20:05:06. A fantastic result for both runners!

Tom Evans wins UTMB © Tom Evans Instagram

Josh Wade 3rd place at UTMB © The North Face UK Instagram

Kris Jones Top 5 at OCC

One of the most competitive races of the week was the men’s 50k UTMB World Series Final, the OCC. The race featured some of the highest ranked men in the international circuit, with top stars like American Jim Walmsley going down in distance to allow them to still be competitive later in the month at the World Trail and Mountain Running Championships. It was also marked by wet and foggy weather, leading to a course change and a delayed start time. The UK’s Kris Jones bettered his 2024 6th place by claiming 5th with a nail-biting fast run that had him chasing hot on the heels of Jim Walmsley for part of the day.

The OCC started in Orsières in Switzerland, covering 61 km with 3,400 m of elevation. Runners had to contend with rain and fog, pushing hard on a relatively more runnable course compared to the usual 53 km route that would take on more climbing. However, this made the racing no less exciting. Kris was in the top pack from the beginning, moving into second place up the highest climb of the day to the Col de Balme. The top five all battled hard, finishing within 5 minutes of each other in Chamonix. Kris’ fifth place sees him improving from 2024 in time and position (running 5:05:50 vs 5:27:49 last year for sixth). Exciting to see what comes next!

Kris Jones during OCC © Trail Fans

Naomi Lang Leads the British Women

The ETC - a 15 km race with 1,200 m of ascent - was one of the first events of the week, attracting an elite field of fast runners who often compete in the Golden Trail Series events. Naomi Lang continued her string of successful international racing by claiming third place on the women’s podium, behind Romania’s Madalina Florea and Spain’s Maria Fuentes. Finlay Grant also had a great race, placing eighth in the men’s race.

There were lots of other brilliant performances from British women: Elsey Davis took 12th place in the CCC (the 100-km race), followed by Fiona Pascall in 15th and Gemma Hillier Moses in 22nd. 

Finally, a fantastic performance by Thomas Hilton, who won the YCC Junior race in a time of 1:29:20 and came fourth in the YCC Junior The Revenge in 16:57. In the women’s field, Lauren Russell was sixth in the YCC Junior and fifth in the Revenge event.  These two races are organised for the younger runners and showcase future talent. We’re excited to see Thomas and Lauren’s future racing here! 

Naomi Lang on the ETC podium © UTMB World Series