Ben Dhiman wins 2026 UTMB in 18:16:29 to become first runner under 19 hours

Breakthrough victory in Chamonix

American trail runner Ben Dhiman won the 2026 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc on Saturday, 29 August, crossing the finish line in Chamonix in 18 hours, 16 minutes and 29 seconds. The 35-year-old athlete from the Asics team became the first competitor in the event's history to complete the Mont-Blanc circuit in under 19 hours. The result marked Dhiman's first career victory at the UTMB following consecutive dropouts in 2023 and 2024, as well as a second-place finish in 2025. Dhiman, who lives in the Pyrenees, had shifted focus to mountain running after a knee injury at age 20 ended his collegiate soccer career and prompted him to leave university. Entering the 2026 race as a leading contender following the withdrawal of Killian Jornet, he had articulated his single-minded objective in an interview on the Freetrail podcast.

If you're not first, you're last.

Breakaway on the Col du Bonhomme

The 23rd edition of the mountain race commenced from Chamonix on Friday at 19:45, following a two-hour delay caused by stormy weather. A total of 2,500 registered runners set out across a course spanning 10,000 metres of positive elevation gain over 173 or 174 kilometres, depending on official race tracking measurements. Dhiman took command of the men's field around the 35-kilometre mark as runners passed the aid station at Les Contamines and began ascending the Col du Bonhomme. By that stage, the leaders had covered the equivalent of a marathon distance and climbed roughly 3,000 metres of elevation. Dhiman then initiated a sustained solo effort at the front of the pack, pulling away from the rest of the field.

Despite breaking one of his mountain poles during the course of the traverse, Dhiman steadily expanded his margin over the chasing pack through the night and into the following morning. By 10:30 on Saturday, with 40 kilometres left to run before reaching Chamonix, he held an advantage of nearly 30 minutes over second-placed French runner Baptiste Chassagne.

Contenders falter during the night

The intense early pace set by the front runners forced multiple high-profile competitors to exit the race before daybreak. Vincent Bouillard, the French runner who won the 2024 edition of the UTMB, remained with the leading pack until the base of the Col du Bonhomme before losing ground. Bouillard subsequently dropped down the standings and decided to withdraw, even after receiving encouragement and assistance at the Les Contamines refreshment point from his Hoka teammate Jim Walmsley. The overnight section also saw the withdrawal of American ultrarunner Courtney Dauwalter, who had entered the race among the women's favourites.

Course adjustments and race timeline

Dhiman's winning time of 18 hours, 16 minutes and 29 seconds removed more than an hour from the previous benchmark of 19 hours, 18 minutes and 58 seconds, established by British athlete Tom Evans during his 2025 victory. However, race officials do not categorize the mark as an official course record because the route was slightly shortened compared to the standard UTMB loop, mirroring the course modifications implemented in 2025. Following the initial thunderstorm that disrupted Friday's schedule, conditions improved markedly, providing mild and favourable weather across the alpine terrain. While Dhiman secured the men's title on Saturday afternoon, the remaining participants among the 2,500 starters have until Sunday at 18:30 to complete the loop.