On the men’s side,Ben Dhiman he was undoubtedly the top favorite this year. Having finished second at UTMB last year, he spent almost the entire season preparing specifically for UTMB; clearly he came to win.

His biggest rival is the runner who recently won Western States 100 and set a course record,Vincent BouillardIf Vincent Bouillard stands on the UTMB top podium again this year, he will have the chance to replicate Kilian Jornet’s legendary feat of winning Western States 100 and UTMB in the same summer.

On the women’s side, the pre-race withdrawal of UTMB “Grand Slam” Ruth Croft made the veteran leader  the most watched athlete; everyone was eager to see whether this three-time UTMB champion could become a four-time champion.Courtney DauwalterAt the same time, French star  was also a strong contender for the title;Blandine L’Hirondelif she were to win the UTMB category this time, she would, like Ruth Croft, complete the UTMB final OCC, CCC, UTMB “Grand Slam”.

Regarding Chinese elite athletes, in the men’s fieldShen Jiasheng、Deng Guomin, and in the women’s fieldXiang Fuzhao、Chen Lin—all four athletes have overseas 100-mile experience and have proven themselves on the international stage. Whether a Chinese runner can break into the world top ten again this year is what Chinese trail-running fans are most looking forward to.

UTMB races for elite athletes are broadly divided into two parts: the night race on the first day and the daytime schedule on the second day. The opening night race is critical — darkness, cold, and massive climbs and descents create problems, and many injuries and withdrawals often occur during the night section.

As the race progressed,Ben Dhiman gradually took control of the race, moving into the lead from 41.1 km at La Balme,and by 52 km at Les Chapieux he had extended his lead to seven minutes. American Chris Myers rose to third.

By 90 km, Ben had stretched his advantage over second-placed Baptiste to twenty minutes; 2023 UTMB third-place finisher Joaquin Lopez had moved up to third.

Beneath the surface, a strong current of competition was emerging among the women. This year’s Cocodona 250 overall winner Rachel ENTREKIN surged into first at 46.9 km, with Blandine and Lucy in second and third.

But after 70 km, the race fell into Blandine’s control; after passing Rachel she went into solo-lead mode.For a home athlete, winning on home soil would unquestionably be an overwhelmingly joyful moment.

As mentioned earlier, the night section is a high-incidence period for withdrawals. In the fierce overnight battle, the veteran "big sister"Courtney 、 Vincent Bouillard , Xiang Fuzhao, and Shen Jiasheng all unfortunately withdrew from the race. After a night of fighting, among Chinese athletes the highest-placed male and female were the 35 [position]-placed Deng Guomin, and the 25 [position]-placed Chen Lin; we hope Chinese athletes can move further up the rankings.

Entering the second day’s daytimestage,Ben Dhiman andBlandine gradually extinguished the race’s suspense, continuously extending their respective leads.

At 155.3 km,At Vallorcine, Ben Dhiman's lead over second-place Baptiste...had reached half an hour. In the following downhill section,Ben Dhiman accidentally fell, but fortunately he was not seriously hurt,Ben Dhiman kept up the pace, rapidly pushing toward the feat of finishing inside 19 hours.

Ben Dhiman took17:41:21 arrived at the final aid station — only the last 7 km descent remained before the finish!Amid the roaring cheers of the crowd, Ben Dhiman strode powerfully toward Chamonix.

Ultimately,Ben Dhiman crossed the finish line in 18:16:29, fulfilling his dream of conquering UTMB— more than an hour faster than last year's champion Tom Evans' finish time, making history.

Although the organizers confirmed it would not be recognized as a course record because this year's route did not pass through UTMB's classic sections, producing such an astonishing time on the UTMB course is enough for Ben Dhiman's performance to be legendary!