American Ben Dhiman Wins UTMB Trail Race, Breaking 19-Hour Barrier

American Ben Dhiman has claimed victory at the prestigious Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in Chamonix, France. He not only won the grueling 173-kilometer race with 10,000 meters of positive elevation gain but also shattered the symbolic 19-hour barrier, finishing in an impressive 18 hours, 16 minutes, and 29 seconds.

Dhiman, who was the runner-up in 2025, took the lead early in the race, around the 35-kilometer mark at Les Contamines. He then embarked on a dominant solo performance, aided by favorable weather conditions this year. His winning time, while not an official course record due to a shortened route, was significantly faster than previous editions.

He finished more than an hour ahead of last year's winner, Tom Evans of Great Britain, who completed the same shortened course in 19:18:58 under difficult conditions. Dhiman's own 2025 time was 19:51:37 when he placed second.

"My ambitions are the same, last year I wanted to win, this year I want to win," Dhiman had stated to journalists earlier in the week. The 33-year-old runner, originally from Ohio, has been living in France since 2021, residing in Bagnères-de-Bigorre in the Pyrenees.

In the women's race, French runner Blandine L'Hirondel is provisionally in the lead, with an expected finish time in Chamonix around 5:15 PM on Sunday.