Christchurch runner Scott Hawker with daughter Sienna at the finish line of the UTMB. Photo / Jose Miguel Munoz
Kiwi Ruth Croft successfully defended her title at the OCC race last week, taking the New Zealand flag to the podium at one of the most prestigious trail races in the world.
Croft won the 55km OCC race (Orsières, Champex, Chamonix) as part of the Ultra Marathon du Mont Blanc (UTMB) race week.
It is the second consecutive year Croft dominates the race.
At 55km, the OCC is the shortest of the UTMB's major races.
She finished in five hours, 50 minutes and 14 seconds.
It wasn't the only time the New Zealand flag stood on a podium at this year's UTMB.
In the same race, the OCC, New Zealanders Caitlin Fielder and Nancy Jiang placed sixth and eighth, respectively.
In the 101km CCC (Courmayeur - Champex - Chamonix) race, Kiwi Sam McCutcheon came seventh overall, in 11 hours, 15 minutes and 20 seconds.
In the MCC, a 40km race from Martigny-Combe to Chamonix, New Zealander Cecilia Flori placed third in four hours, 47 minutes and 36 seconds.
In the iconic UTMB (171 km) race, the New Zealand flag made podium again, with Christchurch runner Scott Hawker finishing third overall in a speedy 21 hours, 48 minutes and four seconds.
Hawker got to cross the iconic UTMB finish line holding hands with his daughter Sienna.
Spanish ultrarunner Pau Capell and American Courtney Dauwalter were first male and female finishers of the 2019 UTMB.
More than 2500 runners started this year's Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc, which starts and finishes in Chamonix, France.
The UTMB dubs itself as the "world summit of trail running" and takes place every year. It is arguably the most prestigious trail ultramarathon on Earth and attracts some of the best athletes from around the globe.
Runners in the full UTMB cover 171km over mountains terrain in the French Alps, to a total of 10,000 metres elevation gain, more than the height of Mt Everest.
