Most of us hadn't even heard of ultra runner Vincent Bouillard when we woke up this morning, but when he crossed the finish line an hour ago at the 2024 UTMB, he made sure we wouldn't forget him in a hurry.
No one would have predicted this win from the little-known French runner at sunrise this morning never mind before the race started. After all, the list of podium hopefuls included marquee names from the trail running world, like Jim Walmsley, Tom Evans and Germaine Grangier. All three of those runners held fast at the front of the race going into the night, but this morning all had dropped out, leaving the perfect opportunity for Bouillard to make a name for himself at trail running's most iconic race.
Bouillard grabbed the lead mid-morning and when he passed us in Triente, he was 34 minutes ahead of the next runner and showing no signs of slowing down. He finished the race in 19:54:23, about 17 minutes behind Walmsley's record in 2023, but the result means he's one of only four men to finish the 106-mile race around Mont Blanc in under 20 hours.
"It was not even my wildest dream to think I could win," says Bouillard, who revealed at the finish line that he's been volunteering and crewing at the UTMB since near the very start of the event in 2003, but this was his first attempt at running the race.
So who is Vincent Bouillard? Honestly, we don't know much yet other than that he grew up near Chamonix, which no doubt explains his mountain goat attack on the course, he's 31 years old and he works full-time as an engineer at running shoe brand Hoka, so he was clearly confident in his shoes.
He is not, however, sponsored by Hoka. In fact, he doesn't have a sponsor at all, and while we're sure he's about to be inundated with offers, he says he's not sure that's on the cards.
"I would always be open to the discussion but I always enjoy the freedom of not having any contract and not having any pressure."
As for his heroes in trail running? He names Tim Thompson and Jim Walmsley who he says are both his friends and his inspiration: "It's been truly an inspiration to see them perform at their very best."
Bouillard is now the fifth French runner to win the UTMB in 21 years, and adding to the furor here, Baptiste Chassagne, also of France came in second place at 20:22:45, while Ecuadorean runner Joaquin Lopez took third place two minutes later.
Over in the women's race, Katie Schide is expected in Chamonix in about 30 mins and if she makes it, she'll destroy Courtney Dauwalter's course record.
