Statement win for Jim Walmsley over Kilian Jornet in Chianti battle between last three UTMB winners

American superstar and reigning Western States champion Jim Walmsley powered to a brilliant win in the 120km Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB in Tuscany on Saturday.

One of the best men’s fields ever assembled saw the last three winners of UTMB – ultrarunning’s blue riband event – line up in the same event for the first time in four years and it was 2023 hero Walmsley who was the decisive victor over the GOAT Kilian Jornet (2022) and Vincent Bouillard (2024).

The stellar trio bossed the race from the outset, running together for the first 24km until the second checkpoint of Poggio San Polo and here’s how it panned out after that…

Walmsley a class apart

Walmsley gradually started to assert in the next section as more rain fell on the up-and-down Tuscan course.

He’d put three minutes into his two big fivals after 51km at Monteluco and there was already a big gap to the rest.

Walmsley of course already has his spot at Western States as the defending champion but the rest of the field were after the three Golden Tickets on offer.

That included Jornet, for whom this was the main target and the race came just a week after he and wife Emelie Forsberg celebrated the birth of their third child.

But as the race developed it soon became obvious that Walmsley was in a class of his own, hugely impressive given that he raced just two weeks when he won the Mesquite Canyon 50K, which was his comeback event after an injury in last year’s UTMB.

Jornet meanwhile was struggling slightly at times, apparently due to a TFL issue which appeared less of a problem on the climbs.

Walmsley reached the Villa Vistarenni checkpoint after 87km in 6:39:46 which was nearly half and hour ahead of Walmsley (7:09:10) and Bouillard (7:09:23).

And that was how things stayed to Albola at just before the 100km mark.

Just under 10 hours

Heading to the finish at Radda in Chianti, Walmsley remained in splendid isolation up front and he crossed the line in 9:59:48 to underline he will be a tough nut to crack at Western States again.

In behind there was a thrilling ding-dong battle in the last 45 minutes between Jornet and Bouillard. And it was only in the last kilometre that four-time UTMB hero Kilian finally shook off his adversary.

Just 30 seconds separated them on the line as both booked those all-important Western States Golden Tickets.

And there was no messing from Jornet – he finished at 2.28pm local time, high-fived the crowd, did a nice finish line interview and then headed to his 3pm taxi to the airport to get back to Norway and his new baby!

‘Every minute against these guys was earned’

He may have made it look easy with his languid style, but speaking afterwards Walmsley underlined it was anything but.

He’d flown to Italy soon after his Mesquite Canyon victory and spent a week recce-ing the course with great friend Bouillard, meaning the wet weather on race day didn’t come as a surprise.

Walmsley said: “I got to scout the course and a lot more rain so today was a bit expected. We got to see the whole loop last week, so we were pretty prepared. But it was really, really hard.

“It was super muddy all day. And then maybe the stickiest mud just at the end and then the last trail there in the grass was even more slippery.”

Talking about the moment he eased clear of Jornet and Bouillard, he explained: “It wasn’t really an intentional move or anything. I think a couple times I found myself at the front, just trying to find my own rhythm and what was comfortable. And then I think it was the first big climb when I kind of noticed some of the breaks. I was able to get a couple steps at a time.

“But I think every minute against these guys was earned and not easy. I just tried to keep it smooth because I think the course got the best of everyone today and it wasn’t easy for me but was very, very rewarding.”

Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB – Saturday 22nd March 2025

120KM RESULTS – MEN

1. Jim Walmsley (USA) – 9:59:48
2. Kilian Jornet (ESP) – 10:27:27
3. Vincent Bouillard (FRA) – 10:27:57
4. Aubin Ferrari (FRA) – 11:16:11
5. Lambert Santelli (FRA) – 11:36:57