This year’s UTMB 176K saw American runner Katie Schide delivering a masterclass of endurance, as she became the fastest woman to ever complete the race. Schide led from start to finish and set a new course record of 22:09:31, surpassing Courtney Dauwalter’s previous best of 22:30:55. On the men’s side, reigning champion Jim Walmsley shocked fans by dropping out just before the halfway point, opening the door for a new victor. France’s Vincent Bouillard seized the opportunity, charging ahead to claim victory in 19:54:23—the fifth fastest time in UTMB history.
🟥 UTMB
Katie Schide s’impose pour la 2ème fois sur l’UTMB et réalise le doublé Western States / UTMB 😎
Katie Schide wins her 2nd UTMB on top of winning the Western States / UTMB in the same year 😎#HOKAUTMBMontBlanc #MeetYourExtraordinary pic.twitter.com/JnIqXOev5v
— HOKA UTMB® Mont-Blanc (@UTMBMontBlanc) August 31, 2024
Women’s race
2022 champion Katie Schide (who finished second last year) secured a rare double victory, adding the UTMB crown to her recent Western States 100 (WSER) win, where she clocked the second-fastest time ever. Schide dominated the race from the outset, leading early and maintaining a steady pace that kept her well ahead of her competitors. Despite strong performances by top runners like France’s Blandine L’Hirondel and Canada’s Marianne Hogan, who fought through a dislocated finger to stay near the lead, Schide remained untouchable.
Ruth Croft of New Zealand, who was aiming to become the first woman to win OCC, CCC, and UTMB, made a strong push in the final stages to overtake Hogan and finish second, but Schide’s commanding lead was never in jeopardy, and she crossed the line in 13th place overall. Croft captured second place in 22:48:37, with Hogan maintaining her third-place position, finishing in 23:11:15.
This is Katie’s second win at #UTMB (other was 2022) and the TENTH victory by an American woman at #UTMB, joining Krissy Moehl (2003, 2009), Nikki Kimball (2007), Rory Bosio (2013, 2014) and Courtney Dauwalter (2019, 2021, 2023)! #UTMB2024 https://t.co/JeDYcz8w0M
— Liam (@aidstationfireb) August 31, 2024
Top women
Katie Schide (USA) 22:09:31
Ruth Croft (New Zealand) 22:48:37
Marianne Hogan (Canada) 23:11:15
Lin Chen (China) 24:16:33
Blandine L’Hirondel 24:35:54
Men’s race
Bouillard’s victory was all the more surprising given his under-the-radar status leading up to the race—his high bib number and lack of a photo on the official website underscored his low profile. But when Walmsley was forced to withdraw with a knee injury, Bouillard seized the opportunity and never looked back, displaying steady and relentless pacing all the way to the finish. His countryman, Baptiste Chassagne, finished second in 20:22:45, with Ecuador’s Joaquin Lopez securing third in 20:26:26.
A moment of suspense arose as Bouillard approached the final aid station at La Flégère, where a mandatory kit check required all runners to present a second water carrier due to the hot weather conditions. Though Bouillard initially struggled to locate the item in his pack, he eventually found it and continued on to claim his well-deserved victory. Bouillard, a 30-year-old senior manager in product engineering and innovation for UTMB’s sponsor HOKA, had been overlooked as a potential winner, despite his top finishes at the 100-mile Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB and the Gorge Waterfalls 100K in 2023.
The men’s race had a surprisingly high rate of attrition, largely attributed to the warm weather. Canada’s Mathieu Blanchard, who was second in 2022, the U.K.’s Tom Evans, who took third in 2022 but had a DNF in 2023, and former champion Pau Caupell (who won in 2017), were among the group of top men who pulled out of the race.
Fernie, B.C.’s Ethan Peters delivered a strong performance and was in 36th overall and 32nd male at the time of publication.
Top men
Vincent Bouillard (France) 19:54:23
Baptiste Chassagne (France) 20:22:45
Joaquin Lopez (Ecuador) 20:26:26
Hannes Namberger (Germany) 20:31:54
Ludovic Pommeret (France) 20:58:18
For full results of the 2024 edition of UTMB, click here.
