As we celebrate Labor Day weekend in the U.S., this year’s races have garnered significant attention, particularly the highly anticipated UTMB Mont Blanc festival in Chamonix, France. This event featured a series of challenging races fraught with unpredictable weather and fierce competition. Below, we explore the UTMB races, including the standout performances and complete race results.
UTMB – Chamonix, France
The UTMB Mont Blanc festival faced some exceptional weather challenges prior to and during the races. Notably, heavy rain and snow forced course alterations across the 108-mile loop. A series of recent rockslides necessitated a detour, adding approximately two kilometers to the course, while the severe weather led to the removal of another two kilometers to avoid treacherous, snow-covered sections.
The prize purse for the race was impressive, totaling €119,000, with winners in both the men’s and women’s categories taking home €20,000 each. Dive deeper into the race’s dynamics in our in-depth race results article.
Women’s Division Highlights
New Zealand’s Ruth Croft, who finished second in the previous year, set the pace right from the start. After battling through various positions, she surged ahead to take first place, completing the race in 22:56. With this victory, Croft has now made history as the first female athlete to win all three UTMB World Series Finals races, including OCC in 2015 and CCC in 2019.
French competitor Camille Bruyas secured the runner-up position once again in 23:28, while Germany’s Katharina Hartmuth followed in third with a time of 24:16. Notably, the first American woman to cross the finish line was Lauren Puretz, who came in eighth.
Ruth Croft, the 2025 UTMB women’s champion. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Below are the full results for the women’s top finishers:
- Ruth Croft (New Zealand) – 22:56:23
- Camille Bruyas (France) – 23:28:48
- Katharina Hartmuth (Germany) – 24:16:39
- Anna Carlsson (Sweden) – 24:39:42
- Maëlle Deruaz (France) – 24:43:02
- Magali Mellon (France) – 24:48:12
- Lucy Bartholomew (Australia) – 24:51:32
- Lauren Puretz (U.S.) – 24:54:57
- Claudia Tremps (Spain) – 25:05:07
- Courtney Dauwalter (U.S.) – 25:50:38
Men’s Division Highlights
In the men’s race, Tom Evans from the U.K. emerged victorious, crossing the finish line in 19:18. Evans, who previously struggled with drops in the past two editions, has now solidified his place as both a Western States 100 and a UTMB champion.
American runner Ben Dhiman finished second in 19:51, demonstrating remarkable resilience after similar struggles in previous years. Following him was U.K. competitor Josh Wade, who secured third place with a time of 20:05.
Tom Evans on his way to winning the 2024 UTMB. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
The top ten men’s results were as follows:
- Tom Evans (U.K.) – 19:18:58
- Ben Dhiman (U.S.) – 19:51:37
- Josh Wade (U.K.) – 20:05:06
- Ji Duo (China) – 20:15:05
- Thibaut Garrivier (France) – 20:20:25
- Ludovic Pommeret (France) – 20:40:34
- Yannick Noël (France) – 21:03:41
- Jia-Sheng Shen (China) – 21:11:59
- Rod Farvard (U.S.) – 21:18:24
- Jia-Ju Zhao (China) – 21:19:47
CCC – Chamonix, France
The 100k CCC race followed a route from Courmayeur, Italy, to Chamonix, France, which included approximately 20,013 feet of climbing. The CCC race also formed part of the UTMB World Series Finals for the 100k distance, rewarding winners with €13,000 from a total €75,000 prize purse.
Women’s Division
In a tightly contested race, Polish runner Martyna Młynarczyk clinched victory in 11:41, despite a fierce last-minute challenge from Sylvia Nordskar of Norway. Nordskar managed to close the gap but finished just 18 seconds shy. Spanish athlete Anna Tarasova secured third place in 11:44.
Martyna Mlynarczyk, the 2025 CCC women’s champion. Photo: UTMB
The complete results for the top five women were:
- Martyna Młynarczyk (Poland) – 11:41:55
- Sylvia Nordskar (Norway) – 11:42:13
- Anna Tarasova (Spain) – 11:44:18
- Blandine L’Hirondel (France) – 11:53:31
- Veronika Leng (Slovakia) – 12:00:27
Men’s Division
The men’s race witnessed a decisive win by Francesco Puppi from Italy, who completed the distance in 10:06. He was closely followed by American runner David Sinclair in 10:13, while his compatriot Drew Holmen closed the gap with a strong finish of 10:16.
Francesco Puppi on his way to winning the 2025 CCC. Photo: UTMB
The men’s top five results were:
- Francesco Puppi (Italy) – 10:06:02
- David Sinclair (U.S.) – 10:13:42
- Drew Holmen (U.S.) – 10:16:15
- Arnaud Bonin (France) – 10:26:03
- Jeshurun Small (U.S.) – 10:28:57
Additional Races and Highlights
TDS – Chamonix, France
Despite weather disruptions leading to course changes, the 95-mile TDS race featured the highest technical challenges among the UTMB events. American Careth Arnold made headlines with a historical win, finishing in 22:58, becoming the first American woman to win the TDS race. Antoine Charvolin of France took the men’s title in 18:22.
MCC – Chamonix, France
This community-themed 25-mile race showcased local talent, with Marine Quintard winning the women’s division and Yoann Stuck taking the men’s title, both displaying phenomenal performances.
Chasing 100 – Nardò, Italy
Noteworthy was Sibusiso Kubheka, who achieved a groundbreaking time of 5:59:20 for the 100k distance, marking the first sub-six-hour finish.
Conclusion
As we reflect on a thrilling Labor Day weekend filled with inspiration from these races, excitement builds for the upcoming World Trail and Mountain Running Championships later this month. The performances displayed this weekend have truly set the stage for an exhilarating fall season in the world of trail running.
Feel free to share your thoughts on the races and which athletes you’re looking forward to seeing in the Championships!
