Kiwi Ruth Croft has made history overnight, becoming the first woman in the world to win all three UTMB World Series Finale Races.
Her latest victory in France occurred at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc Series 174km course, which was considered the pinnacle of ultramarathon running, with competition from the world's best trail and ultramarathon runners.
The Greymouth native ran a total of 22 hours, 56 minutes and 23 seconds through parts of France, Italy and Switzerland to take out the victory.
She eventually crossed the finish line with a large smile on her face, also making history as the first New Zealander to win the title.
Speaking to media after the race, Croft said she knew she had to run "a little more aggressively" than she did the previous year, as cold temperatures, rain and snow had been forecast.
“Once the weather came in and it got cold, I knew I had to just survive for the night.” she said.
Croft bet out rival Courtney Dauwalter for the race win, who had won three of the previous four titles.
Dauwalter, who entered the race with three UTMB wins under her belt (2019, 2021, 2023) and a nearly unbeaten track record, was passed by Croft around the 100km mark.
"It wasn't necessarily the main goal, just kind of like the cherry on top," Croft said.
Some of Croft's other notable race wins include the Tarawera Ultramarathon and Ultra Trail Cape Town.
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