Ruth Croft has now won all UTMB World Series Finals races – Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (2025), Courmayeur-Champex-Lac-Chamonix (2015), and Orsières-Champex-Chamonix (2019, 2018). Photo / UTMB
She’s battled snow and torrential rain in the mountains of Europe, where the challenge of racing gave way to sheer survival. Ultramarathon runner Ruth Croft tells Ben Francis how she beat the odds for the biggest win of her career.
A setback earlier this year proved to be the key ingredient in helping Greymouth’s Ruth Croft win the prestigious Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) 174km race, becoming the first woman to claim all three world series titles.
On Sunday, Croft crossed the finish line in Chamonix, France, in 22h 56m 23s, becoming the first New Zealander to win the event. She finished more than 30 minutes clear of her nearest rival.
The UTMB win completed the trifecta for the 36-year-old, who had previously won the Courmayeur-Champex-Lac-Chamonix 100km in 2015 and the Orsières-Champex-Chamonix 50km in 2018 and 2019.
It was her second time competing in the longest distance, having finished runner-up the year before, and her win meant she joined France’s Xavier Thévenard as the only other person to win all three events.
Victory was far from straightforward. Alongside the spectacular views, Croft had to battle more than 9600m of elevation as well as torrential rain and snow. Conditions were so severe on the Pyramides Calcaires that the course was altered for competitor safety.
Croft, however, was ready for whatever came her way. She told the Herald she had been given a “wake-up call” earlier this year after failing to finish at Transvulcania in the Canary Islands when she suffered hypothermia.
“I was most worried about the conditions,” Croft said. “I’ve been chasing perpetual summers for years, so I never really train or race in bad weather.
“The conditions were brutal with snow and torrential rain over the Col de la Seigne.
“I had a pacing plan, but once night fell it became about survival, making sure I wasn’t burning too many matches. That was the biggest challenge this year.
“This year I went out more aggressively and had more lows. But there are still those moments: seeing the sunrise in Italy, running along a balcony with glaciers around you and those are memories you hold on to even when you’re suffering.”
Croft knew victory would make history, but she insists that was never her goal when she began her journey more than a decade ago.
She said seeing fellow New Zealander Anna Frost competing on the world stage made her want to follow in her footsteps.
“I first dreamed of this when I was living in Taipei around 2012 or 2013,” Croft said. “It’s taken a long time to get here, but that was always the vision.
“Each race has served a different purpose in my career. I did the 50K when I was running shorter distances, and UTMB was something I’d wanted to do since I first came to Chamonix back in 2015.
“It’s taken 10 years to get to that point. There was a lot of relief reaching the finish line, especially after struggling through the last 50km.”
More than 2300 competitors took part in the event, with thousands of fans lining the streets at the start and finish.
Croft called witnessing the fanfare a wild experience but said what made the win extra special was having her family there.
“I don’t think there’s another race like it on the circuit. The start line is intense, with the first 30km lined with people.
“At Les Contamines, the 30K aid station, it’s the last time you see your crew before Courmayeur, 50K later. Then you hit Notre Dame de la Gorge and it’s like a tunnel of people – the final send-off into the night. The support on course is unbelievable. In Vallorcine, with 20K to go, there was another huge crowd.
“What made it truly special was sharing the day with my family and friends that came from New Zealand, and my partner, who works at the event but crewed me from Courmayeur to the finish. More than the result, it’s the support around you that stays with you.”
Unsurprisingly, Croft said she was feeling “pretty wrecked” afterwards, with her body sore and her feet swollen.
Her coach Scott Johnston played a big role in her success. He also trained the men’s winner, Britain’s Tom Evans, who crossed the line in 19h 18m 58s.
As for the future, Croft said it’s too soon to know if she will return to defend her crown.
“Part of me does want to go back,” she said. “Last year we had perfect conditions. This year was the complete opposite.
“The course was changed, the weather was awful. I’d like another crack, but it’s too early to make any decisions.”
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.