BL🇫🇷

Blandine L'Hirondel

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Alençon, FranceBorn March 3, 1991
UTMB 798ITRA 798Wins 29Podiums 40

French trail running champion with multiple world and European titles. Born in Caen and licensed to ARC-Alençon Running Club, L'Hirondel discovered mountain running while studying on Réunion Island, where she completed the 111km Trail de Bourbon at the 2016 Grand Raid de la Réunion — her first race beyond 100km. Spotted by FFA selectors after her runner-up finish at the 2019 Trail du Ventoux, she earned her France team place at the Trail de la Drôme qualification race and won the world trail title three months later. She dominated the world trail running scene with two world championship titles (2019, 2022) and a European title (2022), then successfully transitioned to ultra-distance racing, becoming one of France's top 100-mile runners with a podium finish at UTMB 2023, victory at the prestigious Grand Raid de la Réunion (Diagonale des Fous) in 2025, and the UTMB title in 2026 in 21:54:49 — the fastest women's time ever at the race (on a weather-modified course) — making her the second woman ever, after Ruth Croft, to win UTMB, CCC, and OCC. Named FFA Athlete of the Year in 2022. A gynecologist-obstetrician by training who now focuses full-time on trail running, she is known for her mental toughness, having competed while overcoming injuries including iliac artery endofibrosis surgery.

Race Results

2026
4 races3 wins
1st
Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc/UTMB
Aug 28
174km
9,900m+
21:54:49
26th overall - fastest women's time ever at UTMB
3rd
Val d'Aran by UTMB/Experiència d'Aran (EXP)
Jul 5
32km
2,100m+
3:26:49
20th overall
1st
Transvulcania/Ultramarathon
May 9
73km
4,350m+
7:43:47
23rd overall
1st
Salomon EcoTrail Paris/Trail 35km
Mar 22
34.88km
2:26:27
9th overall
2025
4 races3 wins
1st
Grand Raid de la Réunion/La Diagonale des Fous
Oct 17
178km
10,107m+
27:26:09
8th overall
4th
Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc/CCC
Aug 29
101km
6,050m+
11:53:31
35th overall
1st
Marathon du Mont-Blanc/90km du Mont-Blanc
Jun 27
92km
7,000m+
12:32:00
20th overall
1st
Trail du Ventoux/Balcon des Jas
Mar 8
29km
1,550m+
2:47:55
7th overall
2024
5 races2 wins
3rd
Festival des Templiers/Grand Trail des Templiers
Oct 20
80.4km
3,429m+
7:48:13
26th overall
5th
Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc/UTMB
Aug 30
176.4km
9,525m+
24:35:54
40th overall
1st
Tavignanu Trail
Jul 6
33km
2,270m+
3:44:00
4th overall
2nd
European Off-Road Running Championships/Trail
Jun 1
58km
3,500m+
5:53:49
Annecy - 42nd overall
1st
Championnat de France de trail/Trail Long
Apr 7
55km
2,900m+
5:35:45
Trail Drôme en Baronnies - Buis-les-Baronnies
2023
2 races1 win
1st
La Skyrhune
Sep 23
21km
1,605m+
2:10:39
27th overall
3rd
Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc/UTMB
Sep 2
170km
9,963m+
24:22:50
33rd overall
View All 45 Results

Career Highlights

2025: Won Grand Raid de la Réunion - Diagonale des Fous (178km, 27:26:09, 8th overall); Won 90km du Mont-Blanc (92km, 12:32:00); 4th at CCC (101km, 11:53:31); Won KV du Montcalm (3.5km, 47:09); Won Trail du Ventoux Balcon des Jas (29km, 2:47:55)
2024: 5th at UTMB (176.4km, 24:35:54); Won French Trail Long Championships (57.6km, 5:35:45); 2nd at European Trail Championships (58km, 5:53:49); 3rd at Grand Trail des Templiers (80.4km, 7:48:13); Won Tavignanu Trail (33km, 3:44:00)
2023: 3rd at UTMB (170km, 24:22:50) - first 100-miler podium; Won Skyrhune (21km, 2:10:39); Won Istria Green (62.9km, 5:56:21); Won Lyon Urban Trail (37km, 3:01:12); 5th at Zegama-Aizkorri (41.9km, 4:48:32)
2022: Won World Trail Championships Long (78km, 8:22:14); Won European Trail Championships (47.39km, 4:11:22); Won CCC (98km, 11:40:55); Won Trail du Ventoux (46km, 4:19:18); 2nd at Montée du Nid d'Aigle (19.5km, 2:02:44) - FFA Athlete of the Year
2021: Won OCC (55km, 5:45:08); Won French Trail Long Championships (54km, 4:40:11); Won French Mountain Running Championships (13.6km, 1:08:05); 4th at Sierre-Zinal (31km, 2:59:08); 3rd at Marathon du Mont-Blanc (38km, 4:07:31)
2020: Won French Mountain Running Championships (12.5km, 1:05:01); 2nd at Skyrace des Matheysins (25.5km, 2:50:04); 3rd at Golden Trail Championship (110km, 11:02:42); Won Maratrail des Passerelles du Monteynard (42.9km, 4:14:24); Won Trail du Tangue and Trail des Anglais on Réunion
2019: Won World Trail Championships (44km, 4:06:17) in her first season at the top level; Won French Trail Short Championships at Méribel (25km, 2:52:25); 3rd at World Mountain Running Long Distance Championships (41.5km, 3:52:07); Won Tour de la Gela at Grand Raid des Pyrénées outright (40.7km, 5:20:37); Won Skyrhune (21km, 2:12:08); Won Semi-marathon Inferno (21.1km, 2:25:25); 2nd at Trail du Ventoux (46km, 4:28:58) and Trail de la Drôme (42.7km, 3:54:18) - the results that earned her France selection
2016: 10th woman at Trail de Bourbon, Grand Raid de la Réunion (111km, 26:45:59) while studying on the island - her first race beyond 100km

Key Achievements

Double World Trail Champion (2019, 2022)
European Trail Champion (2022)
Triple French Trail Champion (2019 short, 2021 and 2024 long)
French Mountain Running Champion (2020, 2021)
World Mountain Running Championships - Bronze (2019)
OCC Winner (2021) - UTMB Series
CCC Winner (2022) - UTMB Series
UTMB Winner (2026, 21:54:49) - Second woman ever to win UTMB, CCC, and OCC
UTMB Third Place (2023) - First 100-miler podium
Grand Raid Winner (2025) - Diagonale des Fous

Notable Traits

Double World Trail Champion (2019, 2022) - dominated the 44-78km distance
European Trail Champion 2022 - won despite recent iliiac artery surgery
Named French Athletics Federation (FFA) Athlete of the Year 2022
Successfully transitioned from trail (<50km) to ultra-distance (100-mile) racing
Won Grand Raid de la Réunion 2025 (178km) - first woman, one of toughest ultras in the world
Strong descender - known for making up positions on downhill sections
Licensed to ARC-Alençon Running Club
Discovered mountain running while studying on Réunion Island - finished the 2016 Trail de Bourbon (111km) at the Grand Raid
Gynecologist-obstetrician by training, now focused full-time on trail running
Second woman ever, after Ruth Croft, to win all three UTMB World Series finals races: OCC (2021), CCC (2022), and UTMB (2026)