Press release - Chamonix (France), August 27th 2026
HOKA UTMB® Mont-Blanc 2026 THE FIRST FINAL CROWNS ITS WINNERS, WITH A HISTORIC FINISH IN THE WOMEN’S RACE
What to find in the press release: News of the day: A thrilling finish in the women’s OCC Coming up: The finish of the PTL®, and the starts of the CCC® and UTMB® Did you know? Environmental ambassadors mobilised to protect the tranquillity of the alpine pastures The figure: Three seconds, a historic margin Meet: Behind the scenes of the fan zone in Les Contamines-Montjoie The first final in the 50K category of the 2026 UTMB® World Series got underway this morning. The OCC runners set off to tackle this year’s new section between Col de Balme and Col des Posettes, heading towards the new highest point of the course at Tête de Balme. On the PTL®, the two leading teams are nearing the finish, but the adventure has yet to reach its conclusion.
NEWS OF THE DAY At 8:15 a.m., runners set off from Orsières in demanding summer conditions, with dry heat and temperatures reaching almost 30°C in the valleys, while winds strengthened at altitude. These conditions put runners’ pacing and effort management to the test over the 60 km and 3,500 m of elevation gain. In the women’s race, the outcome remained uncertain until the very last second. Finishing in 6:08, Lauren Gregory (USA, UTMB Index 804), who was debuting the distance, made an impressive comeback on Sara Alonso (ESP, UTMB Index 802) and then Naomi Lang (GBR, UTMB Index 803), who battled with the American all the way to the final stretch. Among the men, Frédéric Tranchand (FRA, UTMB Index 947), 2025 Short Trail World Champion and 2026 European Champion, finished several minutes ahead of Kenyan revelation Nashon Kiplimo (KEN, UTMB Index 910), in 5:10. Third place was also fiercely contested between Sylvain Cachard (FRA, UTMB Index 928) and Alain Santamaria Blanco (ESP, UTMB Index 925), with the Spaniard ultimately gaining the upper hand in the final moments of the race. The men’s race was also marked by the early retirement of one of the pre-race favourites, Rémi Bonnet (FRA, UTMB Index 956). A highly experienced runner on the course, Frédéric Tranchand, had been able to recce the route several times: “The last kilometres are my training trails, I know every rock, so that maybe gives me a little extra advantage. I found myself out front quite early because I wanted to play to my strengths: I knew there were a lot of faster runners than me on the flatter section towards the end.” A strategy that paid off, despite a painful finish: “I had a stitch, I was starting to feel cooked.” For the champion, the victory goes beyond sport: “My world championship title will remain the best performance of my life, but in trail running, the UTMB races are the Holy Grail. I’ll remember this for a long time. With the encouragement all along the course, it’s an incredible experience.” American Lauren Gregory reflected on her incredible finish: “Over the past two years, I’ve been afraid to move up to longer distances, but if I can do it, so can everyone else. They call me ‘the fastest turtle’, so I was just trying to be the biggest turtle in the pack! I also really enjoyed running with the men: there aren’t two different UTMBs, we’re all here to run together.” On the Team Adaptive side, Paralympic athlete Pol Makuri Redolad Garcia (ESP), who has cerebral palsy, crossed the finish line at 7:08 p.m. in 10 h 53 for his third participation in HOKA UTMB® Mont-Blanc 2026. Meanwhile, Mick Marshall (AUS), who lost the use of both lower limbs following a workplace accident and finished the MCC in 2025, is expected at the finish line overnight.
COMING SOON Having started on Monday, the PTL® is set to reach its conclusion this Thursday evening. The favourites are living up to their status as experienced adventurers: brothers Jules-Henri and Candide Gabioud are expected around 8:45 p.m. for their seventh participation, before Nicolas Lehmann and Sébastien Raichon complete the journey during the night into Friday. On the CCC, starting from Courmayeur at 9 a.m., Jennifer Lichter (USA, UTMB Index 849), winner and record holder of the 2026 Western States Endurance Run, and Yao Miao (CHN, UTMB Index 827), a two-time OCC winner, will be among the women to watch. Among the men, Cristian Minoggio (ITA, UTMB Index 943), runner-up at the 2025 OCC, and Benjamin Roubiol (FRA, UTMB Index 941), 2025 Long Trail Vice-World Champion and winner of the 2026 100K Restonica Trail by UTMB, are among the favourites. A true UTMB® legend, Courtney Dauwalter (USA, UTMB Index 859) returns with an exceptional record: three victories in four participations, making her one of the event’s greatest figures. Riley Brady (USA, UTMB Index 826), in excellent form after finishing second at the Western States Endurance Run in June, should be the main runner to watch following the withdrawal of New Zealander Ruth Croft (NZL, UTMB Index 822). The battle is also expected to be fierce among the men’s leading contenders. Ben Dhiman (USA, UTMB Index 946), runner-up in 2025 and coming off a second-place finish at the 90K of the Marathon du Mont-Blanc, will notably have to contend with Vincent Bouillard (FRA, UTMB Index 941), winner of the 2024 UTMB®. American Caleb Olson (USA, UTMB Index 945), winner of the 2025 Western States Endurance Run, will also be looking to play a leading role. With so many contenders, a particularly hard-fought race is expected. On the Team Adaptive side, two men will attempt to make history. Jonathan Naboulet (FRA), a quadriplegic athlete, could become the first team using a joëlette to complete the UTMB® within the time limits, while Julien Veysseyre (FRA) could become the first amputee athlete to complete the race using a transtibial prosthesis. Yanis Debaud (FRA), who has partial paralysis of the foot following nerve damage, Sabine Galpin-Ossonce (FRA), who lives with Lyme disease and endometriosis, and Fanny Barbara (FRA), who has overcome the complete removal of her left lung, will also take the start.
DID YOU KNOW
THE NUMBER
?
3 seconds
1,100 km are covered by the 24 environmental ambassadors over 40,000 m of elevation gain during the seven days of the event. They mark the trails, meet local stakeholders and raise awareness among runners, spectators and their supporters. Nearly 100 alpine farmers have been contacted, with some also met in the field across the three countries, to help preserve local farming activities and the tranquillity of the herds.
Behind these few seconds lies a historic margin: the first two women in the OCC crossed the finish arch after a spectacular final, separated by just a few seconds. Never since the creation of the OCC had such a small gap been recorded between the first two women in the race.
THE ENCOUNTER Nathalie, behind the scenes of the fan zone in Les Contamines-Montjoie For four years, Nathalie Dherbassy has been head of events and activities in Les Contamines-Montjoie, a village crossed by the TDS® and UTMB®. Far from the times and rankings, her role is to bring the village to life: she coordinates traffic, transport, volunteers and the installation of fan zones on the ground. This work is made possible by 140 volunteers mobilised throughout the week. “Some of them actually take weeks of holiday to take part in all the races,” she explains, before adding: “It’s great, there are many volunteers who come back year after year.” This loyalty says a lot about the attachment of local residents to an event that has become a local tradition. Launched three years ago, the fan zone in the village centre brings together residents and families every evening around giant screens to watch the runners finish together. Given the crowds, a second fan zone — the Fan Zone des Contas — was created for the first time this year at the Nordic area. The setup is designed to better manage and distribute spectator flows, protect sensitive areas while preserving the friendly atmosphere that makes these gatherings so special. Together, the two fan zones welcome spectators of all ages, supported by a security team and local associations, to celebrate the runners’ passage in a responsible way. New this year: a free biathlon challenge open to everyone from 6 p.m.
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