In August 2025, Asics athlete Tom Evans became the first Briton to win the UTMB trail running race since Lizzy Hawker in 2012 (and the first male winner since Jez Bragg in 2010). Evans finished in 19:18:58, more than 30 minutes ahead of Ben Dhiman from the USA in second place.
Iain Martin from The Ski Podcast spoke to him in Chamonix before the race to find out more about his preparations.
You recently become a father [his daughter was born on 13 May]. Do you think that sleep deprivation has helped you prepare for the UTMB?
[Laughs] Honestly, when people say that babies don’t sleep, don’t believe them! I get 11 or 12 hours sleep every single night. Maybe not in that first month, but the last two months have been some of the best sleep I’ve ever had.
You’ve been out here to Chamonix for several training blocks. What were you focusing on when you were out here?
Really the specificity. I drove out here seven or eight weeks ago to get really used to the trails and to try and make it feel like a home race. I was doing both general training and the course itself, but mainly I was just getting used to everything, spending weeks trying to speak only French and living a very basic existence.
I think it’s really important to spend time here. For me, UTMB means more than just the race: it’s the community and it’s the feel. I don’t want to rush these things. I want to enjoy it and try to perform at my highest level, so taking the time on the ground here is important.
Do you ever come out here for winter training?
No. This year all my training was all done in the UK, actually in similar weather to what we’re going to have this weekend. I raced the Arc of Attrition 50 in January and then the Tenerife 110k at the end of March [Evans won both races].
How much would it mean to you to pull off a win here at UTMB?
I would mean a lot to me, but I don’t feel like I have to do anything special. It’s just what I want to do. And that’s definitely been a mindset shift in the last couple of years [Evans was a DNF in 2023 and 2024].
If I win, that would be amazing, but I want to have my best performance. Honestly, I’d be way happier if I finished fifth and gave absolutely everything, than if everyone dropped out and I won by hours.
It’s about proving to myself what I’m capable of doing. I’m not just doing this for me now, I’m doing it for my family and the sacrifices that we have made, so to be able to win would be incredible.
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Iain took part in the UTMB in 2021. You can read his articles on trail running here and see how he got on in the race below: