The 2024 OCC race began at 8:15 a.m. native time on Thursday, August 29. The race hyperlinks up the cities of Orsières, Switzerland; Champex-Lac, Switzerland; and Chamonix, France — giving it the abbreviated OCC identify. It’s incessantly known as the Little Swiss Sister of UTMB. This yr’s route matched the 2022 monitor and was once longer than ultimate yr, when a rockslide closed a bit of the normal route.
The legit stats put the route at 57 kilometers (35 miles) with 3,500 meters (11,500 ft) of elevation acquire throughout 3 giant climbs. The race was once the UTMB International Collection Ultimate for the 50k distance, and that supposed €13,000 to every of the winners and prize cash going 10 deep. The overall OCC prize handbag was once €76,000.
There have been some 1,800 runners from 90 other international locations within the race. The recent-weather package necessities have been activated for this yr’s race, with temperatures hiking to 21 levels Celcius (70 levels Fahrenheit) vary. Runners have been required so as to add shades, a Saharan cap, sunscreen, and further water capability to their generally required tools.
You’ll additionally take a look at extra effects from the week’s UTMB Mont Blanc pageant:
2024 OCC Males’s Race
Christian Allen (U.S.) opened a near-immediate hole at the box originally and ran on my own for just about all the race’s first part.
An early chase pack fronted by means of Eli Hemming (U.S.), Benjamin Roubiol (France), Francesco Puppi (Italy), and Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) thinned to simply Hemming and Bonnet 90 mins into the race. At Trient, Italy, 15 miles and just about two hours into the race, Allen led Hemming and Bonnet by means of two mins.
The race’s 2nd of 3 giant climbs went up Col de Balme, a mountain move close to the Swiss-French border, and right here, Hemming dumped Bonnet and ran down Allen. 3 hours into the race, Hemming was once transparent of the remaining.
At the back of Hemming, Bonnet dropped after taking a fall, Allen hit a wall, and Antonio Martínez (Spain) made an enormous transfer to jump into 2nd at the Col de Balme climb, even though nonetheless over six mins at the back of the chief, on the other hand. He additionally ran a stirring 2nd part eventually yr’s race when completing 3rd.
Eli Hemming, the 2024 OCC males’s winner. All pictures courtesy of UTMB.
Puppi discovered the acceleration up the race’s 3rd and ultimate climb, returning to the lead workforce for the primary time since early within the race. Puppi overtook Martinez to transport into 2nd and minimize into Hemming’s lead. Hemming bumped into hassle on that ultimate climb, in short preventing close to mile 31, however recovered at the downhill end to take care of his pole place to win in 5:11:48. Puppi was once 2nd in 5:14:46, and Martinez was once 3rd in 5:17:56.
Hemming changed into the primary American to win OCC, and Puppi and Martinez have been each 2nd and 3rd for the second one instantly yr.
For standpoint, in 2022 in this similar route, Manuel Merillas (Spain) received in 5:18.
2024 OCC Males’s Effects
1 – Eli Hemming (U.S.) – 5:11:48
2 – Francesco Puppi (Italy) – 5:14:46
3 – Antonio Martínez (Spain) – 5:17:56
4 – Ju-Wei Zi (China) – 5:22:17
5 – Aritz Egea (Spain) – 5:27:07
6 – Kristian Jones (U.Ok.) – 5:27:49
7 – Daniel Castillo (Spain) – 5:28:48
8 – Tao Luo (China) – 5:30:23
9 – Hu Zhao (China) – 5:30:46
10 – Robbie Simpson (U.Ok.) – 5:31:04
The 2024 OCC males’s podium: (left-to-right) 2. Francesco Puppi, 1. Eli Hemming, 3. Antonio Martínez
2024 OCC Girls’s Race
Tabor Hemming (U.S.) and Dani Moreno (U.S.) led early, however Miao Yao (China) made an competitive transfer to the lead on a downhill phase not up to an hour into the race to take the lead. The surge timing reflected Yao’s push in ultimate yr’s race when she completed 3rd.
Yao’s time on my own on the entrance was once short-lived even though, and Hemming regained the lead at the climb to Los angeles Giète, Switzerland, two hours into the race. Judith Wyder (Switzerland) additionally overtook Yao at the climb to transport into 2nd. When the route once more grew to become downhill into Trient, Italy, Yao once more charged. Yao, Wyder, and Hemming exited the Trient assist station, 24.3 kilometers into the race, along side two giant climbs to head.
Yao broke the crowd up at the Col de Balme climb, heading as much as the route prime level at 34 kilometers, and once more blasted the downhill correct after. She was once 3 two mins forward of Wyder on the most sensible, and Hemming would drop from the race additional on. Yao led the remainder of the race from there, and Wyder stayed in 2nd, too.
Miao Yao celebrates successful the 2024 OCC.
Miao’s successful time was once 5:54:03, and Wyder completed in 6:00:05.
At the back of the ones two frontrunners, Clémentine Geoffray (France) ran a great sturdy 2nd part to complete 3rd in 6:02:10. Geoffray was once the 2023 Path International Championships 40k winner.
For standpoint, the 2022 successful time in this similar route was once 6:10 by means of Sheila Avilés (Spain).
2024 OCC Girls’s Effects
1 – Miao Yao (China) – 5:54:03
2 – Judith Wyder (Switzerland) – 6:00:05
3 – Clémentine Geoffray (France) – 6:02:10
4 – Sara Alonso (Spain) – 6:05:15
5 – Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand, dwelling in Andorra) – 6:05:46
6 – Dani Moreno (U.S.) – 6:06:59
7 – Camilla Magliano (Italy) – 6:07:27
8 – Ikram Rharsalla (Spain) – 6:10:23
9 – Rosa Lara Feliu (Spain) – 6:13:06
10 – Anna-Stiina Erkkilä (Finland) – 6:13:57
The 2024 OCC most sensible 5 ladies: (left-to-right) 4. Sara Alonso, 2. Judith Wyder, 1. Miao Yao, 3. Clémentine Geoffray, 5. Caitlin Fielder