Jim Walmsley, 33, won the 20th edition of the Ultra-trail du Mont-Blanc in Chamonix (Haute-Savoie) on Saturday, after a perfectly controlled race, becoming the first American to be crowned on the famous mountain race.
Native of Arizona and living in the French Alps since 2022 to prepare for this grueling 173 km trail, Walmsley crossed the finish line in 19 hours 37 minutes and 43 seconds, with more than fifteen minutes in advance. on his compatriot Zach Miller, first pursuer. Frenchman Germain Grangier is in third place, nearly ten minutes behind Miller.
The two Americans have been in the lead since early Friday evening, near the town of Contamines, located about thirty kilometers from the start. And it was even Zach Miller, 5th last year, who led the dance all night, on the Italian part of the track. But, arriving in Switzerland, Jim Walmsley, announced as one of the favourites, accelerated in the climb towards Forclaz before overtaking Miller, then widening the gap to Chamonix. Military until 2015, this slender athlete (1.82 m) has been one of the best ultra-distance runners on the planet for years.
Last year, he had been in the lead for nearly 100 km before exploding and seeing victory slip away from him in favor of the Spaniard Kilian Jornet, finally finishing 4th. It was his 5th participation in the UTMB. Since the creation of the event in 2003, several Americans have won the Ultra-trail du Mont-Blanc, including Krissy Moehl and Courtney Dauwalter, but no man has yet won around the roof of Europe. Walmsley beat Kilian Jornet’s time last year (19h49’30”) but his performance is not considered an official record as the route has been changed and slightly simplified due to the disastrous weather that has hit the area this week.
