Press release - Chamonix (France), August 30th 2026
HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc 2026 A 23RD EDITION THAT MAKES HISTORY
The 23rd edition of HOKA UTMB® Mont-Blanc comes to an end today in the MontBlanc valleys. From the first PTL® start on Monday to the final UTMB® finishers crossing the line this Sunday, France, Italy and Switzerland have come together around an event that makes the Mont-Blanc region a unique meeting place for runners, local residents, volunteers, families and spectators. A week of celebration centred around performance, solidarity and inclusion, culminating in the finals of the UTMB® World Series circuit: OCC (50K), CCC® (100K) and UTMB (100M). Three races that once again showcased the diversity and intensity of trail running, with memorable finishes including Jonathan Naboulet crossing the finish line in a Joëlette, the first French victory in 10 years at UTMB, and Blandine L’Hirondel’s outstanding performance. Moments that go beyond sporting results and highlight a community brought together by a shared desire: a passion for challenge and pushing one’s limits, respect for the territory and its communities, and the joy of sharing a collective adventure.
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NEWS OF THE DAY A look back at a week of sport From small stories to outstanding performances, every race brought its share of emotion. The week began with the first HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc events: PTL®, ETC, MCC, TDS® and YCC, five adventures with very different formats and profiles. On the PTL, the spirit of collective adventure once again took centre stage, with the AlpsXperience team of brothers Candide and Jules-Henri Gabioud claiming victory at the end of this extraordinary challenge. On the TDS®, Sarah Vieuille (FRA, UTMB Index 726) and Remy Brassac (FRA, UTMB Index 869) claimed victory, while on the ETC, Marie Nivet (FRA, UTMB Index 765) and Taylor Stack (USA, UTMB Index 921) took the honours. The MCC saw Noémie Lepoutre (BEL, UTMB Index 707) and Gatien Airiau (FRA, UTMB Index 783) triumph. Finally, the YCC, dedicated to the younger generation of trail runners, opened the week by showcasing the future talents of the sport, with Charlotte Bringuier (FRA, UTMB Index 640) and Isak Drøpping (NOR, UTMB Index 749) winning the junior races. In the finals, Lauren Gregory (USA, UTMB Index 804) secured a magnificent victory at the OCC after an epic final sprint, while Frenchman Frédéric Tranchand (FRA, UTMB Index 947) left his rivals no chance in the men’s race. Yngvild Kaspersen (NOR, UTMB Index 816), after an impressive comeback, claimed victory at the CCC, where Cristian Minoggio (ITA, UTMB Index 943) flew the flag for Italy in the men’s race. Then came the big event, the one everyone had been waiting for: UTMB, the highlight of the UTMB World Series Finals. Blandine L’Hirondel (FRA, UTMB Index 807) and Ben Dhiman (USA, UTMB Index 946) delivered two outstanding performances to claim emphatic victories. Carried by a passionate French crowd, Blandine wrote a new chapter in UTMB history, becoming the second woman, and the third person overall, male and female, to win all three UTMB World Series Finals. The final UTMB finisher crossed the finish arch in Chamonix at 5:43 p.m., after 45 hours and 53 minutes of effort, bringing to a close two days and two nights of intense effort and resilience. A total of 1,681 finishers crossed the finish line this Sunday, August 30.
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Inclusion at the heart of the adventure Inclusion played a particularly important role throughout this year’s edition, with the presence of Team Adaptive by UTMB, which is driven by a strong ambition: to enable everyone to take part in the trail adventure, regardless of their abilities. This year, two stories stood out at HOKA UTMB® Mont-Blanc: Jonathan Naboulet and the Team Trail Sans Limite became the first Joëlette team to officially complete UTMB within the time limits, an achievement made possible by a team of 42 guides. Julien Veysseyre, meanwhile, became the first athlete with a transtibial amputation to complete UTMB using a prosthetic leg. Fanny Barbara, who has overcome the complete removal of her left lung, also crossed the finish line on Sunday, completing UTMB for the second time. Jonathan Naboulet: “We had built up such a lead on the first day that we were also able to take care of ourselves, look after one another and make sure we could reach that finish line. It was fantastic, a moment of joy and happiness. As in any race, there are more difficult moments, but I had 42 people around me, with so much courage and strength. They are more than friends, they are family. And I love Blandine, she’s my godmother, someone very close to me with whom I share many moments. Congratulations to her on winning, and thank you for supporting us so strongly.” This momentum around inclusion was also highlighted by the arrival of the HOPE teams, a project carried out in collaboration with the Marathon des Sables. The four wheelchair athletes involved in the project covered most of the UTMB course as part of a relay, unofficially. This new initiative helped test the specific adaptations required to enable wheelchair users to progress along the race trails. Beyond Team Adaptive by UTMB and Project HOPE, 58 athletes with disabilities started one of the eight races held during the week. This represents a significant increase compared with 2025, when there were 37, an increase of 57% in one year. This progression reflects the development of the organisation’s inclusion policy and the momentum created by Team Adaptive by UTMB, helping to inspire and make the races increasingly accessible to all. The PTL and UTMB award ceremonies also took place, recognising the first finishers of the PTL as well as the UTMB winners, who came to receive honours following their performances on the trails around Mont-Blanc. The HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc closing ceremony also brought the week to a close, honouring everyone who contributed to its success. As every year, volunteers played a central role in this celebration, with the traditional parade paying tribute to their commitment and dedication throughout the event.
THE NUMBER
DID YOU KNOW ? The highlights of the week will be available on the official HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc Youtube channel from 8:00 p.m.:
CLICK HERE Chills and emotions guaranteed!
14 million views on UTMB Live across the live broadcasts of the three finals. Audience numbers are continuing to grow strongly, with an increase of 5 million compared with 2025, reflecting the public’s growing interest.
BEHIND THE SCENE Robert, a familiar face at HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc and its longest-serving volunteer At 93, Robert is undoubtedly the oldest volunteer at HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc. A title that reflects his commitment to and passion for the event: for 20 years, from the age of 56 to 76, he competed in mountain running, winning several French mountain running championship titles, including a veteran-category victory in Corrèze. He vividly remembers the Cross du Mont-Blanc, with its 2,300 metres of elevation gain, which he completed four times, improving his time on each attempt: “That was beautiful,” he simply recalls. Once he stopped competing, Robert never left the mountains or UTMB. He first worked by placing course markers at altitude, sometimes for several days at a time, before finding his current role, which has become his trademark: ringing bells at the start of every race, hat in hand. “My bells in the morning, at the start, they wake all the runners up,” he explains, with no small amount of pride. In his early days, Robert carried a large 6.4 kg cement bell, but the leather strap would eventually rub his skin raw: “I lost strength,” he jokes. He has since swapped his large bell for several smaller bells, which are lighter to carry. His unwavering commitment still brings him to every start today. On Friday, he travelled to Courmayeur to help bring the CCC start to life, despite the pouring rain. Robert also speaks with emotion about his son, a mountain guide and ski instructor, whom he spotted on the course heading towards Switzerland: “I was over the moon” to see him progressing year after year on the same race, surrounded at the finish by the whole family, including his wife.
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Note to editors UTMB® World Series UTMB® World Series is the trail running circuit that brings together the best athletes in the sport and amateur runners in top international events held in some of the most beautiful places on the planet. The UTMB® World Series is rooted in a passion for the mountains and respect for the environment and offers trail running enthusiasts the chance to experience the UTMB® adventure across the globe, with events taking place in Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa and the Americas. This is the way for everyone to start their quest towards the HOKA UTMB® Mont-Blanc, where the UTMB® World Series finals take place. Launched in May 2021 with the collaboration of UTMB Group and The IRONMAN Group, the UTMB® World Series circuit brings together 69 events in 35 countries. For more information, visit utmb.world | Press Area & Photo
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