Jim Walmsley charges to a win at UTMB’s OCC

On Friday in Chamonix, U.S. ultrarunning star Jim Walmsley edged out Italy’s Cristian Minoggio in a dramatic sprint to the line, winning the 61 km race in 5:00:35 to Minoggio’s 5:00:55. Just behind, Poland’s Andrzej Witek claimed third in 5:04:08. Fifteen seconds separated the top two in a race that included more than 3,400 metres of climbing—one of the tightest battles OCC has ever seen.

OCC (Orsières–Champex–Chamonix) kicks off UTMB week as the shortest of the festival’s major races, but it’s anything but easy. The course crosses from Orsières in Switzerland through Champex-Lac and over the Col de Balme before dropping hard into Chamonix. With steep ascents and a downhill that punishes tired legs, the OCC rewards both climbing power and fast finishing speed. Walmsley proved he had just that, and fought hard right until the end to capture the win.

Walmsley and UTMB

Walmsley has a complicated history at Mont-Blanc. For years, he chased a breakthrough at the full UTMB, enduring several DNFs before finally cracking the code in 2023 to become the first U.S. man to win the 171 km loop. He followed that with another big milestone in 2024, returning to Western States 100 and running away with the victory in 14:13. This season, lingering knee issues kept him out of the long race, and instead, he lined up for OCC, where he found redemption differently.

Canada’s Sam Hendry cracks top 10

Sam Hendry, hailing from Canmore, Alta., also delivered a standout performance, taking 10th to finish in 5:17:43 as the fastest Canadian on course. A former standout skier turned trail runner, Hendry clinched multiple podiums in 2024: he was second at the Speedgoat 50K by UTMB in 5:24:57, and third at the Squamish 50K with a time of 4:56:59.

Canadian women shine

Canadian women have struck again at UTMB, this time in the 61km OCC race. Nelson, B.C.’s Jazmine Lowther took ninth in 6:02:56, while Quebec’s Elisa Morin followed her in 6:03:19. “This one’s gonna have a fast and furious vibe, I’ll be holding on for dear life to these speedy gazelles,” Lowther wrote on Instagram pre-race.

Speedy gazelles is an apt description of the top women at OCC (including Lowther and Morin). Joyline Chepngeno took a dominant win in 5:34:03 as the first Kenyan to top the podium at OCC; China’s Miao Yao followed her in 5:35:13 and Swiss runner Judith Wyder, who crossed the line in 5:38:22.

At the time of publication, the OCC is ongoing; for full results, head here.