UTMB OCC 2025 results: Walmsley and Chepngeno win THRILLERS

American ultrarunning legend Jim Walmsley and rising Kenyan star Joyline Chepngeno were the respective winners of two thrilling races for the OCC titles at the UTMB World Finals.

Walmsley overtook Italy’s Cristian Minoggio with just a few kilometres to go and held him off to win by 20 seconds, with Poland’s Andrzej Witek rounding out the podium in third.

And it was almost as close in the women’s race after Chepngeno came to a momentary halt with just over 2km remaining.

But whatever the issue was, she got going again almost straight away and had a minute and 10 seconds to spare from defending champion Miao Yao of China in second, with Judith Wyder (SUI) a further three minutes back in third.

Weather conditions required last-minute changes due to a forecast storm. The start time was put back a couple of hours while the revised route – 61km and featuring 3,400 metres of climbing – avoided the most exposed sections but preserved the demanding and authentic spirit of the OCC.

Men’s race – Walmsley given a late scare

Walmsley was the UTMB winner in 2023 but stepped down in trip here after a year that has had its injury frustrations.

He’s also in the US team for the World Trail Championships in Canfranc, Spain in late September so the 61km here was far more compatible with that rather than the 174km UTMB.

He won the battle of the last three UTMB winners when seeing off Kilian Jornet and Vincent Bouillard in brilliant style at Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB in March but this was his first ultra since.

He made a rapid start and led the way to the first checkpoint at Champex-Lac, 7.4km in, reaching that in 37:28, alongside Petter Engdahl (SWE).

Walmsley then eased clear but approaching the aid station at Argentière, just over 10km from the finish, Minoggio had closed the gap down to a handful of seconds and would swoop past soon after.

At the final checkpoint of Le Levancher, Minoggio was nearly a minute and a half to the good but the remaining 6km were all downhill and it was at that point Walmsley put on the afterburners.

With just over 2km to go he was on Minoggio’s shoulder and after a pat on the back he flew past en route to a famous victory in almost exactly five hours. He is just the second American male to take the title – 12 months on from compatriot Eli Hemming.

Minoggio was only 20 seconds adrift on the line, with more than three minutes back to Witek in third.

Jim Walmsley OCC 2025 UTMB — Jim Walmaley had a real battle before winning OCC [Photo credit: UTMB]

“Cristian just blew right past me straight after Argentière – and I was very worried at that point,” admitted Walmsley afterwards.

“I was looking back all the way from when I overtook him – sorry there weren’t a lot of high fives in the finish chute as I was definitely running scared all the way to the line!

“It makes it very, very rewarding to have such competition and to get so much out of yourself. No matter what happened I knew I was just trying my hardest – no regrets.”

Women’s race – Fairytale continues for Chepngeno

It was just as dramatic in the women’s race.

A star-studded line up saw most of the big names right in the mix early on.

Wyder led the way in 43:44 for the 7.4km to Champex-Lac, closely followed by Chepngeno, Sara Alonso (ESP), Yao and Maude Mathys (SUI).

And that quintet would end up filling the first five places but Chepngeno and Yao had a brilliant battle before then.

Yao had moved to the front of the women’s field by the next aid station at Martigny but only by 19 seconds. The positions flipped by the next checkpoint of Trient with Chepngeno now 17 seconds in front!

But it was in the next section, up the biggest climb of the race, where Chepngeno asserted.

Joyline Chepngeno OCC 2025 UTMB — Joyline Chepngeno on her way to victory [Photo credit: UTMB]

By the time they reached the final check of Le Levancher, Chepngeno led by two minutes with just downhill to come. But that sudden stop meant Yao closed, though she was never quite in sight and when the line came there was just over a minute between them and another three minutes back to Wyder.

It continued the remarkable rise of Chepngeno – she won her first ever trail race last year at none other than the iconic Sierre-Zinal, a title she defended earlier this month.

This was her longest race to date and she became the first Kenyan to win one of the big three races at UTMB.

Afterwards she said: “It was very hard for me and I was getting a lot of pain but I tried my best and I’m so happy I won and was able to finish strong after stopping.”