On Saturday in Chamonix, after years of attempting and failing to attain that elusive victory, Jim Walmsley, previously of Flagstaff, Ariz., however extra just lately a resident of France, lastly achieved his dream of crossing the end line first at Extremely-Path du Mont-Blanc (UTMB). The three-time Western States winner and course report holder crossed the road in 19 hours, 37 minutes and 43 seconds. Walmsley was pushed onerous by Zach Miller of Colorado completed in second place solely minutes later, in 19:58:58; Germain Grangier of France rounded out the rostrum in 20:10:52.
That is the primary time an American has ever gained the lads’s race, and the primary time each males’s and ladies’s podiums had been topped by People: the invincible Courtney Dauwalter was the highest feminine for the third time, crossing the road in 23:29:14, in twenty fifth place general, after breaking course information at each Western States and Hardrock earlier this season. Katharina Hartmuth of Germany crossed the road in second place in (24:10:52) and Blandine L’hirondel of France ending third (24:22:50) in her first 100-mile race and her first look at UTMB.
Dauwalter’s win is historic; that is the primary time in ultra-trail historical past that any runner has gained Western States, Hardrock 100 and UTMB in the identical season.
For Walmsley’s followers, it felt like a vindication, since they’ve been rooting for him to crack the code at this race ever since his first look, again in 2o17 (he was fifth that 12 months). Walmsley moved to the realm in 2021 to immerse himself within the course of of coaching for the win, which had eluded him so many instances. His mentor is four-time UTMB winner François D’haene, who additionally lives within the space and who didn’t race this 12 months.
Twin Canadian-French citizen Mathieu Blanchard, who completed second to Kilian Jornet in 2022, was fourth at present, in 20:54:25 (Jornet didn’t race this 12 months as a consequence of harm). Ailsa MacDonald, who completed second at Western States final 12 months, completed seventh within the girls’s race (25:48:54). Final 12 months’s second-place finisher, Marianne Hogan of Montreal, didn’t race this 12 months as a consequence of harm.
High 10 males
- Jim Walmsley USA 19:37:43
- Zach Miller USA 19:58:58
- Germain Grangier FRA 20:10:52
- Mathieu Blanchard FRA 20:54:25
- Ludovic Pommeret FRA 21:00:54
- Thibaut Garrivier FRA 21:10:38
- Tyler Inexperienced USA 21:19:21
- Hannes Namberger GER 21:20:46
- Arthur Joyeux Bouillon FRA 21:31:22
- Baptiste Chassagne FRA 21:38:11
UTMB 2023: who and how you can watch Extremely-Path du Mont Blanc
High 9 girls
- Courtney Dauwalter USA 23:29:14
- Katharina Hartmuth GER 24:10:52
- Blandine L’hirondel FRA 24:22:50
- Fuzhao Xiang CN 24:50:33
- Maite Elizondo ESP 25:02:26
- Katarzyna Solińska POL 25:20:23
- Ailsa Macdonald CAN 25:48:54
- Leah Yingling USA 26:21:24
- Sabrina Stanley USA 26:58:53
(On the time of publication, solely 9 girls had completed.)
