Updated 31 August 2026.
UTMB® 2026 is over. Ben Dhiman wins in 18h16'29", the fastest time in the event’s history, while Blandine L'Hirondel takes the women’s race in 21h54'49". A field reshaped by the withdrawals of Kilian Jornet, Jim Walmsley, Tom Evans and Ruth Croft did indeed produce the open race that had been anticipated.
The UTMB® 2026 podium
| Place | Men | Time |
| 1 | Ben Dhiman (United States) | 18h16'29" |
| 2 | Baptiste Chassagne (France) | 18h47'38" |
| 3 | Caleb Olson (United States) | 18h48'24" |
| Place | Women | Time |
| 1 | Blandine L'Hirondel (France) | 21h54'49" |
| 2 | Rachel Entrekin (United States) | 22h15'54" |
| 3 | Emily Schmitz (United States) | 22h17'28" |
Ben Dhiman took the lead before the 40th kilometre and never relinquished it. Blandine L'Hirondel becomes the second woman in history to win the UTMB®, CCC® and OCC, after Ruth Croft.
The fastest time in history, but not a record
Ben Dhiman’s 18h16'29" marks the first time under 19 hours since the event was created. However, it does not replace the official record: because the course was changed at the last minute, the performance has not been ratified. The record remains Kilian Jornet’s 19h49'30" from 2022.
There were three runners under 19 hours on the same day, and the entire men’s top 10 finished under 20 hours. Full details in our article on UTMB® records.
A delayed start and a modified route
Due to thunderstorms forecast across the massif, the organisers delayed the start by two hours. The race eventually set off from Chamonix at 19:48 instead of 17:45, on a shortened course. For the second consecutive year, the weather changed the race itself, following the rerouting caused by rain and cold in 2025.
2,407 starters, 726 withdrawals
In the flagship race, 1,681 runners reached Chamonix and 726 dropped out, a 30% dropout rate. A high figure, but well below that of the TDS®, raced on Monday in cold rain, which lost nearly 45% of its field.
How our predictions held up
We published our analysis of the field on 24 August, four days before the start.
What we had seen. Ben Dhiman was listed as the announced favourite's “most direct rival”: he won. Blandine L'Hirondel was identified as France's main hope: she won. Baptiste Chassagne, of whom we wrote that he “can also aim for the top”, finished second, while Hannes Namberger, cited among those with “the necessary credentials”, finished sixth.
What we did not see coming. We named Vincent Bouillard “the most obvious favourite” and expected Courtney Dauwalter to claim a fourth victory. Both withdrew in the first half of the race.
The field before the start
This section documents how the field took shape over the ten days leading up to the race.
The withdrawals that reshaped the edition
Kilian Jornet announced his withdrawal on 20 August, eight days before the start, in a video posted on Instagram. The four-time winner had been carrying a left knee injury since spring: an MRI scan carried out after Zegama revealed a horizontal tear of the lateral meniscus, damage to the kneecap cartilage and bone marrow oedema. He had already had to withdraw from Western States in June. One final test run between Courmayeur and Chamonix settled it: “I have therefore decided not to run the UTMB this year”, he explained. A fifth victory would have made him the event’s sole record holder.
Jim Walmsley withdrew from the start list on 21 August, twenty-four hours after Jornet. The organisers confirmed his withdrawal without giving a reason. The 2023 winner, who had the best UTMB Index in the field, had long been carrying a knee problem and had already dropped out of Western States at the end of June.
Defending champion Tom Evans did not defend his title. Initially announced as a starter, he was not included in the field revealed by the organisers on 13 August, who did not specify the reason for his absence.
Beñat Marmissolle withdrew on 22 August. The Basque runner, sixth at UTMB and winner of the Diagonale des Fous in 2022, was suffering from a foot injury sustained during a long run. He turned his focus to the Diagonale des Fous on 14 October.
Sunmaya Budha announced her withdrawal on 23 August, while already in Chamonix. The Nepalese runner, runner-up at the CCC in 2022 and silver medallist in the long trail at the 2025 World Championships, explained that she had been injured seven weeks earlier and had not had enough time to recover.
Ruth Croft ultimately did not start. The defending champion, announced as Courtney Dauwalter’s main rival, does not appear among the starters in the official timing results.
Other notable absences:
- François D'Haene, a four-time winner, had made the GR20 his season goal. He reclaimed its record on 9 July in 29h46, the first time under thirty hours.
- Mathieu Blanchard had withdrawn from all his summer races, as heel pain had prevented him from training normally since spring.
- Katie Schide, a two-time winner in 2022 and 2024, was continuing her recovery from a persistent foot injury.
- Camille Bruyas, runner-up in 2025, announced her pregnancy in spring.
The announced favourites
With the withdrawals of Jornet, Evans, Walmsley and then Marmissolle, the hierarchy had narrowed to a handful of names: Vincent Bouillard, 2024 winner and author of a 13h46 Western States in June, Ben Dhiman, runner-up last year, and Baptiste Chassagne, winner of the Diagonale des Fous in 2025. Behind them, Caleb Olson, Hannes Namberger, Jonathan Albon and Jiasheng Shen had the necessary credentials.
In the women’s race, the headline matchup was Ruth Croft versus Courtney Dauwalter, with Riley Brady, Marianne Hogan, Rachel Entrekin and Blandine L'Hirondel waiting in the wings. The two headline names did not make it to Chamonix; two of the outsiders took the top two places.
Frequently asked questions
Who won UTMB® 2026?
Ben Dhiman in the men’s race, in 18h16'29", and Blandine L'Hirondel in the women’s race, in 21h54'49".
Did Ben Dhiman break the UTMB® record?
No. His time is the fastest ever run in the event and the first under 19 hours, but because the course was changed at the last minute, it has not been ratified. The official record remains Kilian Jornet’s 19h49'30" from 2022.
Why was the start delayed?
Thunderstorms were forecast across the massif at the scheduled 17:45 start. The organisers delayed the start by two hours, to 19:48, and shortened the course.
How many runners finished the UTMB® 2026?
1,681 finishers from 2,407 starters, with 726 withdrawals — a 30% dropout rate.
Did Kilian Jornet run the UTMB® 2026?
No. He announced his withdrawal on 20 August, eight days before the start, due to a left knee injury.
What is Courtney Dauwalter's status?
She started but withdrew in the first half of the race, as did Vincent Bouillard in the men’s race.
