On the afternoon of Saturday, September 2, 2023, history was made on the streets of Chamonix, the French town beneath Mont Blanc, Western Europe’s highest mountain. A partisan crowd had reached fever pitch at the finish line of the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), the world’s most famous ultra marathon.
Spirits were already soaring after Jim Walmsley had just become the first American man to win the famous race. Yet this incredible achievement was just a precursor to the arrival of the triumphant Courtney Dauwalter. She won the women’s race, crossing the line in 23 hours, 29 minutes and 14 seconds and in doing so became the first person in history to hold ultra running’s coveted Triple Crown. In a single, remarkable 70-day period, she’d won Western States, Hardrock and the UTMB – an unprecedented feat.
