Ben Dhiman wins UTMB in record 18:16:29

American Ben Dhiman won the 2026 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in Chamonix, France. The 34-year-old finished the 108-mile loop in 18 hours, 16 minutes, and 29 seconds, becoming the first runner to break the 19-hour barrier.

His time surpassed the 19:18:58 set by 2025 winner Tom Evans. Dhiman covered the course, which includes 33,000 feet of vertical gain and loss through France, Italy, and Switzerland, more than 90 minutes faster than his own 2025 finish.

"I didn't give the race course any respect today. I just pushed as hard as I could and yeah, sometimes that works," said Dhiman. He is the second American man to win the event in its 23-year history, following Jim Walmsley's 2023 victory. Check the stats for more on historic UTMB performances.

Race Breakdown

Rainstorms delayed the start by two hours, forcing nearly 2,400 runners to begin in darkness. Dhiman moved methodically, taking the lead from Frenchman Baptiste Chassagne before the long climb into Italy.

He extended his lead to 20 minutes by the 50-mile mark in Courmayeur, Italy. As first light appeared, Dhiman climbed the 8,300-foot Grand Col Ferret into Switzerland. "There was a full moon over the mountains as I was going up Grand Col Ferret," he said. "It was magic."

Several top contenders dropped out, including 2024 winner Vincent Bouillard and pre-race favorites Josh Wade, Rod Farvard, Canyon Woodward, and Chris Myers. Past winners Tom Evans, Jim Walmsley, and Kilian Jornet had withdrawn before the race.

Dhiman kept extending his lead. He was the first runner ever to cover the 15-mile section from Grand Col Ferret to the Champex Lac aid station in under two hours. He reached that 80-mile point 28 minutes ahead of Chassagne.

The Final Push

Three difficult climbs remained in rising late-morning heat. Chassagne kept charging, but the gap never closed below 22 minutes. "Baptiste was pushing me a bit," Dhiman said. "I was used to the lead expanding and it wasn't expanding, so I was a bit nervous, but no worries."

Dhiman took a fall on the final trail section but recovered. He descended into Chamonix to a hero's welcome from an estimated 30,000 spectators.

Baptiste Chassagne finished second in 18:47:38. American Caleb Williams took third in 18:48:24. French runner Virgile Moriset was fourth in 19:00:23, and Ecuador's Joaquin Lopez was fifth in 19:06:48.

"I knew I had to keep it up, and hold on to it," Chassagne said. "To me it's still an honor to second. There was no touching him today." The full standings detail the international field's results.

Dhiman's Background

Dhiman grew up in Cincinnati and played soccer at Sycamore High School and Emory University. He left organized sports to hike the 2,200-mile Continental Divide Trail in 2012, a life-changing experience.

He later earned a degree from Montana State and caught the ultrarunning bug while working in Silverton, Colorado. He hiked across Nepal in 2018, a 745-mile journey through the Himalayas.

He met his wife, Ophélie, while traveling in India. She convinced him to race Le Grand Raid de la Réunion, a brutally difficult 100-mile race. The couple, who have three sons, settled in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, France. During his first two years there, regulations barred him from working, so he focused on running, parenting, and earning a professional contract with Asics.