The 2026 UTMB World Series season is under way, with the winners crowned at the Arc of Attrition by UTMB.
The 11th edition (the second as part of the UTMB World Series) has three main race formats – Arc 100 (161 km), Arc 50 (80 km) and Arc 25 (41 km).
All traverse the South West Coast Path, an iconic trail winding along Cornwall’s cliffs, beaches, and exposed headlands and the podium finishers gain direct entry into UTMB, OCC and CCC respectively in Chamonix.
Here’s how they played out…
Arc 100
Hugh Tibbs rewrote the UK trail 100-mile record at the Autumn 100 last October and he followed that up with another masterclass over the distance – crossing the line to win in 19:10:09.
All night long, Hugh went shoulder to shoulder with friend and long-time rival Simon Withers and it wasn’t until the early hours that the elastic finally snapped.
As the race ground down into the final kilometres, Hugh found another gear – breaking clear to win by a few minutes in what were brutal conditions.
Simon followed soon after with an outstanding 19:14:44, the two sharing a hug on the finish line after an unforgettable battle.
Rounding out an all-British podium, almost exactly an hour behind them, was Sam Skinner.
In the women’s race, Norway’s Anne-Sofie Pollestad was a dominant winner.
It had been close in the first half between herself and Charlotte Fisher (GBR).
But it was at Pendeen where Anne-Sofie made her decisive move – surging into the lead and never looking back to claim the win in 22:28:24.
Charlotte stayed strong and crossed the line an hour and 20 minutes later in an impressive sub-24 hours time.
Hannah Rickman (GBR) paced it superbly in third, steadily gaining places through the night.
Arc 50
Britain’s Gemma Hillier Moses bossed the women’s race.
The HOKA athlete set the tone early, taking control of the race and was in complete command as she headed out of Land’s End.
As the miles ticked by, she gradually extended her lead through the demanding, technical terrain around Pendeen and Zennor.
Behind her, Spain’s Aroa Sio and Brit Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn formed a determined chasing pack, pushing hard and refusing to let up.
But despite their efforts, Gemma remained out of sight – building an unassailable lead as the course unfolded and sealing a dominant victory in 8:12:56, more than an hour clear.
It was a two-way battle early in the men’s race as Kris Jones and Keith Wigley set the tone from the gun, running stride for stride with only seconds separating them through the Lelant checkpoint.
The race broke open over the next 30km as Kris made his move, pulling clear of his Elite Trail teammate. Both dug deep and emptied the tank over the brutal final kilometres but Jones crossed the line first in 7:09:41.
Behind them, Lewis Bowness (GBR) stayed patient in the chasing pack, growing stronger with every mile and surging late to lock in his podium finish.
Arc 25
Arguably the race of the week came in the men’s Arc 25.
A three-man front pack formed early, with the leaders locked together stride for stride for most of the race.
The pressure stayed on all the way – there was no margin for mistakes – and it was Robbie Simpson (GBR), the highest-ranked runner in the race, who found another gear on the final climb out of Portreath, making the decisive move when it mattered most.
Behind him, Raoul Raus (BEL) and Ben Rothery (GBR), the English Fell champion, battled all the way to the line, separated by just seconds in a thrilling finish.
In the women’s race, there was a similarly close call for third and fourth.
But at the head of the race Naomi Lang (GBR) took control early as she set a relentless pace, with Nuria Gil Clapera (ESP) close behind and keeping the pressure on throughout.
When it mattered most, Naomi found another gear, opening a decisive gap on the ASICS athlete to claim a superb victory.
Behind them, the fight for third was on. Maëlle Beauvir and Rachel Brown went shoulder to shoulder, trading positions repeatedly.
And the final podium spot was decided in a thrilling sprint over the final 100 metres – Maëlle digging deep to secure third.
Arc of Attrition results 2026
Arc 100
MEN
1. Hugh Tibbs (GBR) – 19:10:09
2. Simon Withers (GBR) – 19:14:44
3. Sam Skinner (GBR) – 20:14:33
WOMEN
1. Anne-Sofie Pollestad (NOR) – 22:28:24
2. Charlotte Fisher (GBR) – 23:49:08
3. Hannah Rickman (GBR) – 24:47:38
Arc 50
MEN
1. Kris Jones (GBR) – 07:09:41
2. Keith Wigley (GBR) – 07:27:45
3. Lewis Bowness (GBR) – 07:38:32
WOMEN
1. Gemma Hillier Moses (GBR) – 08:12:56
2. Aroa Sio (ESP) – 09:31:30
3. Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn (GBR) – 09:33:15
Arc 25
MEN
1. Robbie Simpson (GBR) – 02:45:51
2. Raoul Raus (BEL) – 02:46:34
3. Ben Rothery (GBR) – 02:46:55
WOMEN
1. Naomi Lang (GBR) – 03:09:16
2. Nuria Gil Clapera (ESP) – 03:16:06
3. Maëlle Beauvir (ESP) – 03:25:10
