Ben Dhiman produced one of the most dominant performances in UTMB history as the American stormed to victory in Chamonix in the fastest-ever time recorded at the iconic 100-mile race.
Runner-up 12 months ago, Dhiman had made no secret beforehand of just how disappointed he had been to finish second and how badly he wanted to go one better in 2026.
And the American, who lives in France, delivered emphatically.
Dhiman crossed the finish line in 18:16:29, the first person to go under 19 hours and more than an hour quicker than Tom Evans’ winning time of 19:18:58 last year.
It cannot officially be classed as a course record because weather-enforced changes were made to the route, including the removal of the Pyramides Calcaires section.
But the 2025 race was also altered because of the weather and run over a roughly similar course, underlining the scale of Dhiman’s extraordinary performance.
He also became only the second American man to win UTMB, following Jim Walmsley’s historic victory in 2023.
It completed a remarkable progression for Dhiman at the biggest race in trail running. His first two UTMB appearances ended in DNFs before he made a huge breakthrough by finishing second to Evans last year.
Twelve months later there would be no denying him.
Storms force delayed start
Even before the runners set off, this was an unusual edition of UTMB.
The start was delayed by two hours because of thunderstorms forecast around the Mont-Blanc massif.
“The delay is a safety measure due to thunderstorms forecast over the Mont-Blanc massif later today,” organisers explained on Friday.
The course was also modified and would no longer pass through the Pyramides Calcaires.
The men’s race had already been decimated by a series of high-profile withdrawals before the start, while another huge name disappeared relatively early in the race.
Vincent Bouillard, the 2024 winner and the only previous men’s UTMB champion to start this year’s race, fell dramatically down the standings after initially featuring prominently and eventually withdrew.
That left the way clear for a new champion – and Dhiman was about to seize his opportunity in spectacular fashion.
Dhiman makes his move
There was little indication early on of the destruction to come.
At Saint-Gervais after 22.9km, Bouillard, Rod Farvard and Paul Cornut-Chauvinc were together at the front, with Dhiman just six seconds behind.
But as darkness descended and the runners battled freezing temperatures and high winds through the night, Dhiman began to take control.
He moved to the front around La Balme but initially had Baptiste Chassagne for company, with the Frenchman still only around 45 seconds behind at Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme.
The decisive move came on the descent towards Les Chapieux.
By the time Dhiman reached the checkpoint at around 52km, he had suddenly opened a gap of more than seven minutes over Chassagne.
And that was only the beginning.
By Courmayeur at 81.3km, Dhiman’s advantage had ballooned to 19:25, with Chassagne second and the remainder of the chasing pack tightly grouped behind.
No stopping Dhiman
If his rivals hoped daylight might bring them back into contention, Dhiman had other ideas.
He continued to stretch his advantage through Refuge Bonatti before reaching Grand Col Ferret – at 2,537 metres the highest point of the UTMB course and the crossing from Italy into Switzerland – with a lead of 22:15.
Dhiman looked remarkably strong and determined at the summit, even asking his crew how large his advantage had become.
It continued to grow.
He led Chassagne by 24:29 at La Fouly and then 28:12 at Champex-Lac.
There was briefly a suggestion that the race might tighten when Chassagne reduced the deficit to 25:53 at Trient, the first time for many hours that Dhiman’s advantage had significantly fallen.
The response was emphatic.
By Vallorcine at 155.3km, Dhiman had pushed the gap back beyond half an hour to 30:47.
From there it was a case of negotiating the final climbs and descent safely before one of the great UTMB victory celebrations awaited in Chamonix.
There was one big scare just 12km from the finish though when he tripped on a rock – see the short video below.
But Dhiman was soon back on his feet and crested the final major climb at La Flégère with an enormous advantage and then descended towards the finish, finally stopping the clock at 18:16:29.
He looked remarkably fresh at the finish too after a performance for the ages.
Chassagne holds off Olson
Behind Dhiman, there was considerably more drama in the battle for the remaining podium places.
Chassagne had been Dhiman’s closest challenger for much of the race and the Frenchman held on for an excellent second place in 18:47:38, crossing the line 31:09 after the winner.
But he was almost caught by a flying Caleb Olson (USA) in the closing stages.
The American had been fourth at Trient, 3:49 behind third-placed Joaquin Lopez, but produced a superb late charge to overhaul the Ecuadorian before Vallorcine and then set his sights on Chassagne.
Olson continued to close all the way towards Chamonix but ultimately ran out of road, finishing in 18:48:24 – just 46 seconds behind Chassagne after almost 19 hours of racing.
It completed a remarkable day for the United States, with Dhiman and Olson taking two of the three places on the UTMB podium.
UTMB 2026 results – Elite Men
Friday 28 August – Saturday 29 August 2025, 174km
| Position | Athlete | Nationality | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Dhiman | USA | 18:16:29 | — |
| 2 | Baptiste Chassagne | FRA | 18:47:38 | +31:09 |
| 3 | Caleb Olson | USA | 18:48:24 | +31:55 |
| 4 | Virgile Moriset | FRA | 19:00:23 | +43:54 |
| 5 | Joaquin Lopez | ECU | 19:06:48 | +50:19 |
