They promised a battle between extremely royalty, and Chianti Extremely Path in Italy delivered. On Saturday, American star Jim Walmsley placed on a masterclass, cruising to victory simply two weeks after his comeback win at Mesquite Canyon 50K—and proving he’s again to dominate the 2025 path racing season.
In what was arguably essentially the most aggressive males’s area in years, Walmsley confronted off in opposition to two different UTMB champions: Spain’s legendary Kilian Jornet (a four-time UTMB winner) and France’s rising power Vincent Bouillard, the 2024 champion of UTMB. For the primary 24 km, the trio ran shoulder to shoulder, teasing followers. However because the Tuscan skies opened and the mud thickened, Walmsley quietly slipped into his personal gear—and no one might observe.
By Monteluco at 51 km, he’d carved out a three-minute lead. By the 87 km mark, he was almost half an hour forward. Ending in 9:59:48, Walmsley regarded each bit the defending Western States champion he’s—and as soon as once more proved that even muddy chaos can’t sluggish him down.
Jornet, recent off welcoming his third little one only a week prior, battled each the clock and an obvious TFL problem. Bouillard wasn’t making it straightforward. The 2 males exchanged surges over the ultimate stretch, however Jornet summoned his signature grit to tug away within the final kilometer. He crossed in 10:27:27, simply 30 seconds away from Bouillard—and hustled off to catch a 3 p.m. taxi to the airport, a person on each household and operating missions.
Prime Males
Jim Walmsley (U.S.)—9:59:48
Kilian Jornet (Spain)—10:27:27
Vincent Bouillard (France)—10:27:57
Aubin Ferrari (France)—11:16:11
Lambert Santelli (France)—11:36:57
Pascall powers by means of for ladies’s win
The ladies’s race noticed its personal fierce duel. Early chief Fabiola Conti set the tempo, however by midway, it was the U.Ok.’s Fiona Pascall and Finland’s on the entrance. Antila clung on till 74km, however Pascall discovered one other gear. Regardless of slick, muddy climbs she pulled away and by no means regarded again. Pascall broke the tape in 12:34:59, with Antila 20 minutes behind and final 12 months’s champ, Spain’s Azara Garcia De Los Salmones, in third.
Publish-race, Pascall instructed media the course was “relentless however superior,” and Antila’s grin stated all of it when requested if she’d settle for her Western States Golden Ticket: “Completely!”
Prime ladies
Fiona Pascall (U.Ok.)—12:34:59
gJohanna Antila (Finland)—12:53:22
Azara Garcia De Los Salmones (Spain)—13:12:31
Abby Corridor (U.S.)—13:31:25
Stephanie Howe (U.S.)—13:34:56
All eyes on Western States
The Chianti Extremely Path wasn’t nearly podiums. Golden tickets for the 2025 Western States have been on the road—and so they’ve now landed within the palms of Jornet, Bouillard and Antila. With Walmsley already on the beginning record because the defending champ, the stage is ready for an epic showdown in California.