This Week In Running: August 31, 2026

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The UTMB Mont Blanc festival of races was the week’s and year’s biggest highlight. We’ll go light on those races here, but you can also check out our greater race coverage from earlier in the week:

• 2026 TDS Results: France Sweeps, Sarah Vieuille and Rémy Brassac Win
• 2026 OCC Results: Frédéric Tranchand and Lauren Gregory Win Dramatic Races
• 2026 CCC Results: Yngvild Kaspersen and Cristian Minoggio Triumph
• 2026 UTMB Results: Ben Dhiman and Blandine L’Hirondel Win

UTMB – Chamonix, France

Thunderstorms in the area pushed the race start back two hours, and a high, exposed section of the course was also removed for safety. This made it match last year’s course but prevented course record potential. Still, both the men’s and women’s finish times were historically fast.

Men

Pre-race favorite Ben Dhiman (U.S.) pulled away from Baptiste Chassagne (France) roughly 40k into the race and led all of it from there. Dhiman won in 18:16, and Chassagne held off a fast-closing Caleb Olson (U.S.) for second. Chassagne and Olson were only 46 seconds apart in 18:47 and 18:48. The first three men all ran under 19 hours, and the first 10 all went under 20 hours.

The men’s top 10 was:

1. Ben Dhiman (U.S.) – 18:16:29
2. Baptiste Chassagne (France) – 18:47:38
3. Caleb Olson (U.S.) – 18:48:24
4. Virgile Moriset (France) – 19:00:23
5. Joaquín López (Ecuador) – 19:06:48
6. Hannes Namberger (Germany) – 19:13:51
7. Gautier Bonnecarrère (France) – 19:23:16
8. Antoine Charvolin (France) – 19:40:33
9. Yannick Noël (France) – 19:51:42
10. Jean-Philippe Tschumi (Switzerland) – 19:58:24

As we like to do in these major races, here’s how everyone else in the men’s pre-race preview did:

• 11. Pablo Villa (Spain) – 20:15:38
• 12. Drew Holmen (U.S.) – 20:24:49
• 13. Raul Butaci (Romania) – 20:26:46
• 14. Andreas Rieder (Austria) – 20:33:24
• 15. Cody Lind (U.S.) – 20:37:25
• 17. Kamil Leśniak (Poland) – 20:56:49
• 18. Aubin Ferrari (France) – 20:56:53
• 19. Andy Symonds (U.K.) – 20:59:58
• 20. Gaby Rueda (Argentina) – 21:04:23
• 23. Baptiste Coatantiec (France) – 21:31:21
• 29. Tom Joly (U.K.) – 22:09:40
• 44. Guo-Min Deng (China) – 22:55:42
• 49. Marcos Ramos González (Spain) – 23:09:54
• 54. Arthur Joyeux-Bouillon (France) – 23:38:10
• 63. Théo Detienne (France) – 24:00:41
• 67. Pau Capell (Spain) – 24:09:33
• 123. Richard Lockwood (U.S.) – 26:18:32

Drops included Jon Albon (U.K.), Manuel Anguita (Spain), Arnaud Bonin (France), Vincent Bouillard (France), Abel Carretero (Spain), Paul Cornut-Chauvinc (France), Rod Farvard (U.S.), Borja Fernández (Spain), Tobias Geiser (Italy), Nicolas Gourdon (France), Ramon Manetsch (Switzerland), Ionel Cristian Manole (Spain), Zach Miller (U.S.), Chris Myers (U.S.), Andreas Reiterer (Italy), Alexis Sévennec (France), Jia-Sheng Shen (China), Aleksei Tolstenko (Neutral), Josh Wade (U.K.), and Canyon Woodward (U.S.).

The first men’s finisher who wasn’t named in the pre-race preview was 16th-place Jérémy Nion (France) in 20:48:28.

Women

Blandine L’Hirondel (France) became only the second woman to win each of OCC, CCC, and UTMB — the three UTMB World Series Finals. L’Hirondel pulled away from Rachel Entrekin (U.S.) near the halfway point and won in 21:54. Entrekin, in her UTMB debut, was second in 22:15, and Emily Schmitz (U.S.), also running her first UTMB, was a surprise third-place finisher in 22:17. After a strong second half, Schmitz closed to within 94 seconds of Entrekin at the finish.

The women’s top 10 was:

1. Blandine L’Hirondel (France) – 21:54:49
2. Rachel Entrekin (U.S.) – 22:15:54
3. Emily Schmitz (U.S.) – 22:17:28
4. Careth Arnold (U.S.) – 23:05:20
5. Jazmine Lowther (Canada) – 23:21:55
6. Katarzyna Dombrowska (Poland) – 23:27:34
7. Lucy Bartholomew (Australia) – 23:44:29
8. Antonina Iushina (Neutral) – 23:49:58
9. Anne-Cécile Thévenot (France) – 24:02:00
10. Anne-Sofie Pollestad (Norway) – 24:04:56

And the rest of the women’s pre-race preview:

• 11. Amanda Basham (U.S.) – 24:18:09
• 12. Leah Yingling (U.S.) – 24:18:16
• 13. Riley Brady (U.S.) – 25:16:54
• 14. Lin Chen (China) – 25:21:43
• 15. Céline Finas (France) – 25:33:56
• 19. Emilie Mann (Canada) – 25:55:29
• 21. Mélanie Delasoie (Switzerland) – 26:24:01
• 22. Abby Hall (U.S.) – 26:24:58
• 25. Rachel Drake (U.S.) – 26:42:39
• 27. Anna Louden (U.S.) – 26:44:55
• 28. Katie Asmuth (U.S.) – 26:49:59
• 33. Anna Li (China) – 27:17:03
• 34. Nicolette Griffioen (South Africa) – 27:26:55
• 39. Shea Aquilano (U.S.) – 28:14:46
• 42. Stephanie Auston (Australia) – 28:25:51

Drops included Naomi Brand (South Africa), Anna Carlsson (Sweden), Eszter Csillag (Hungary), Courtney Dauwalter (U.S.), Eleanor Davis (U.K.), Mari Klakegg Fenre (Norway), Kaytlyn Gerbin (U.S.), Genevieve Harrison (U.S.), Jennifer Lemoine (France), Ekaterina Mityaeva (Neutral), Sandi Nypaver (U.S.), Corinne Shalvoy (U.S.), Aroa Sío (Spain), Claudia Tremps (Spain), Martina Valmassoi (Italy), Li-Ping Wang (China), and Fu-Zhao Xiang (China).

The first woman to finish who wasn’t named in the pre-race preview was 10th-place Anne-Sofie Pollestad.

Full results.

CCC – Chamonix, France

The race course was altered because of the weather and ran as 108k (67 miles) in distance. It all happened on Friday, August 28. It too was a UTMB World Series Final, and there was a 76,000 Euro prize purse that paid 13,000 Euro to the winners.

Men

Cristian Minoggio (Italy) broke free from Hans Troyer (U.S.) with about 40k to go and won in 10:21. Miguel Arsénio (Portugal) ran down early aggressor Troyer for second in 10:27, and Troyer stayed third in 10:33.

The men’s top five was:

1. Cristian Minoggio (Italy) – 10:21:48
2. Miguel Arsenio (Portugal) – 10:27:25
3. Hans Troyer (U.S.) – 10:33:29
4. Luke Grenfell-Shaw (U.K.) – 10:47:23
5. Simon Paccard (France) – 10:50:59

Women

The women’s race had three past champions, and they finished first, second, and third. Yngvild Kaspersen (Norway), the 2023 race winner, was 20 minutes off the lead at halfway and outside the top 10, but ran an incredible second half to spring the victory. Kaspersen won in 12:01. The 2024 race winner Toni McCann (South Africa) and 2018 race winner Miao Yao (China) were second and third in 12:06 and 12:15.

The women’s top five was:

1. Yngvild Kaspersen (Norway) – 12:01:14
2. Toni McCann (South Africa) – 12:06:14
3. Miao Yao (China) – 12:15:41
4. Jenn Lichter (U.S.) – 12:24:01
5. Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand) – 12:25:17

Full results.

OCC – Chamonix, France

The Thursday, August 27 race was 60k (37 miles) in distance with 3,500 meters of elevation gain (11,500 feet), and it was a UTMB World Series Final. As with CCC, there was a 76,000 Euro prize purse, awarding 13,000 Euro to the winners, with money going 10 deep.

Men

The men’s and women’s races ran very differently. Frédéric Tranchand (France) broke away for an early lead in the men’s race and was up by as much as eight minutes in the middle of the race. He gave some time back late, but it still wasn’t close. Tranchand won in 5:10. Nashon Kiplimo (Kenya) and Miguel Benítez (Spain) were second and third in 5:14 and 5:17, respectively.

The men’s top five was:

1. Frédéric Tranchand (France) – 5:10:08
2. Nashon Kiplimo (Kenya) – 5:14:37
3. Miguel Benítez (Spain) – 5:17:43
4. Sylvain Cachard (France) – 5:21:35
5. Alain Santamaría (Spain) – 5:28:24

Women

While men’s winner Tranchand led all of his race, women’s winner Lauren Gregory (U.S.) led the last three minutes of the women’s race. Gregory jumped from third with 5k to run to the lead with three minutes left, and scored a three-second win over longtime leader Naomi Lang (U.K.).  Gregory and Lang both finished in 6:08 with a three-second gap between. Sara Alonso (Spain) was barely a minute behind the pair in third in 6:09. Only 64 seconds separated the women’s podium.

The women’s top five was:

1. Lauren Gregory (U.S.) – 6:08:07
2. Naomi Lang (U.K.) – 6:08:10
3. Sara Alonso (Spain) – 6:09:11
4. Makena Morley (U.S.) – 6:16:37
5. Ida Amelie Robsahm (Norway) – 6:27:34

Full results.

TDS – Chamonix, France

The 92-mile race with 30,500 feet of climbing started just before midnight on Monday, August 24. Although not a UTMB World Series Final race, it happened on some of the event’s most technical and challenging terrain.

Men

Men’s winner Rémy Brassac (France) was among the early leaders and gained the ultimate lead after the rest of his lead group dropped. Brassac outpaced Pierre-Adrien Hivert (France) over the second half, and the two finished in 19:28 and 20:14. Davide Rivero (Italy) was third in 20:42.

Women

Sarah Vieuille (France) led all of the women’s race and won in 22:08. Alice Meignié (France) chased through the second half but couldn’t bridge to the leader and finished second in 22:30. Alyssa Clark (U.S.) was third in 22:54.

Full results.

Additional Races and Runs

MCC

The 24.8-mile race on August 24 was part of the UTMB Mont Blanc festival and focused on local area runners and race partners and was one of the event’s earliest contests. It started in Martigny-Combe and ran to Chamonix, with one big climb midway through the race totaling 7,500 feet of elevation gain.

The men’s podium was entirely French. Gatien Airiau led Florian Bernabeu-Seguy and Jules Mongellaz with 3:26, 3:27, and 3:30 finish times. Airiau and Bernabeu-Seguy were 23 seconds apart at the front.

The women’s race was a runaway with Noemie Lepoutre (Belgium) way out front in 3:55. Pauline Girardet (France) and Juliette Chassagne (France) dueled for the runner-up spot with 4:24 and 4:26 marks.

Full results.

ETC

On Tuesday, August 25, at the UTMB Mont Blanc festival, the ETC ran 9.3 miles with almost 4,000 feet of climbing on a loop course in Courmayeur, Italy.

Taylor Stack (U.S.) scored a men’s win in 1:19, with Romain Discher (Switzerland) and Jan Torrella (Spain) next on the podium, both in 1:20, and 27 seconds apart.

Marie Nivet (France) won the women’s race in 1:34, with Axelle Genoud (Switzerland) and Vivien Bonzi (Italy) second and third in 1:36 and 1:39, respectively.

Full results.

PTL

The two-person team race was the first to start during the UTMB Mont Blanc festival week and was the event’s longest and wildest, at 186 miles with 82,000 feet of climbing. The Swiss team of Jules-Henri Gabioud and Candide Gabioud was the first to finish in 89:00. It was the brothers’ fifth win. The first mixed-gender team was Stéphane Higueret (France) and Anita Lehmann (Switzerland) in 110:17. Rita Miskiniene and Monika Mile, both of Lithuania, were the first women’s team in 134:05:01.

Full results.

Backcountry Rise 50k – Toutle, Washington

The Daybreak Racing had Niles Desmarais and Brooke Hill-Deans as champs in 5:11 and 5:18. Hill-Deans set a new course record, too. Full results.

Cirque Series – Grand Targhee, Wyoming

On a 7.1-mile course, Mason Coppi won by over four minutes in 49:33, and Alexa Aragon led the women in 59:27. Full results.

Continental Divide Trail Run 50k – Steamboat Springs, Colorado

The race was part of the Steamboat Springs Running Series. Race local Nate Iler won for the men in 4:22, and Olivia Rowland was the women’s champ in 4:51. Full results.

Rock Hawk 50k – Castle Rock, Colorado

At the far south end of metro Denver, Colorado, the race was held at Castle Rock’s Miller Park. Race winners were Alec Hewett and Reyna Chavez-Guardado in 4:19 and 5:28. Full results.

ScoCo50 – Long Grove, Iowa

Both Dan Froeschle and Melissa Taylor set new 50k course records in 3:15 and 4:28. Full results.

Midwest States 100 Mile – Westboro, Wisconsin

The race was in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Nicholas Kopp and Nicole Severin won in 20:22 and 21:40. Full results.

Dirty Dozen 50k – New York, New York

Running on a 2.5-mile course, Alex Kunce won for the third time in 4:26, and Lisa McManus set a new women’s course record in 4:49. Full results when available.

Black Bear Trail Races – Waterville Valley, New Hampshire

The 50k had Oliver Jay and Taylor Miller as race champs in 5:42 and 6:04, respectively. Full results.

Ouray 50 Mile – Ouray, Colorado

Running on a modified course after a wildfire damaged the final climb of the original route earlier this summer, Micah Seguin and Journey Fleishman won in 14:55 and 16:45. Full results.

Call for Comments

What UTMB World Series Finals performances stood out for you as most compelling, and what other race finishes can be added to the above highlights?

This Week In Running: August 31, 2026 by Justin Mock.