The leaders went off fast but most of those pushing the pace early on were soon paying for it.

At the Les Contamines check point 32 kilometres in, where runners take stock of their condition before running through the night, Dauwalter, the 2019 champion, and Sweden’s Mimmi Kotka were in the lead. The rest of pre-race favourites – Katie Schilde and Kelly Wolf of the USA, Beth Pascall of the UK, Ragna Debats and Maite Mayora of Spain were close behind.

In the men’s leading group, the favourites stuck together in a star-studded pack of 10. This year, the American Jim Walmsley, continuing his quest to become the first male American runner to win the UTMB, did not make an early break, probably having learned from his previous blow-ups.

The first favourites to tumble were France’s Audrey Tanguy, followed by three-time UTMB champion Xavier Thevenard who pulled out at Les Chapieux, only 50 kilometres into the race. Before the UTMB, rumours had suggested that Thevenard had problems with his form.

In the absence of Chinese runners, it was Europe vs USA among the leaders. In the men’s division Walmsley was going head to head with the French three-time UTMB champion D’Haene. In the women’s, it was Dauwalter against Kotka.

After the Courmayeur checkpoint Walmsley started to struggle, and at Refuge Bretone checkpoint D’Haene told his American rival and friend that he would not accelerate and invited Walmsley to run together, but the American had drained his tank and pulled out at Arnouvaz at 100km, as did another pre-race favourite, Pablo Villa.

Another well-fancied runner, Dmitry Mityaev, dropped out after the long descent to Courmayeur, at 81km. His team manager told the Post that the Russian succumbed to cramps and muscular spasms. Two female favourites – Pascall and Mayora were also out.

Hong Kong-based athletes – Wong Ho-chung, John Ray “Stingray” Onifa and Jay Kiangchaipaiphana were pacing themselves well. Wong and Onifa were running together, and having reached Courmayeur the pair climbed sixty places – moving up from 80th to around 20th position.

At Courmayeur checkpoint the female leader Dauwalter brushed her teeth as part of her UTMB ritual. She encouraged Kotka, who arrived with blood and mud on her knees, to run together, but this was the last time the Swede saw the American who was now overtaking elite male runners.

In the morning, the French were in full control of the men’s race and at Gran Col Ferret, 103km in, Frenchmen occupied the first six positions, with D’Haene leading the charge.

At Champex-Lac, at 127km, Dauwalter was just seconds behind the 8th- and 7th-placed men. D’Haene extended his lead to 15 minutes, but was outside the course record pace. Wong had climbed to 11th but his teammates Kiangchaipaiphana and Onifa were out of the race with injuries.

With only the final descent to the finish line in Chamonix remaining, D’Haene was well ahead of his compatriot Auelien Dunand-Pallaz, and Dauwalter was showing no signs of fatigue, fighting for the sixth overall position.

Greeted by enormous crowds, D’Haene crossed the finish line in 20 hours, 45 minutes and 59 seconds. Dunand-Pallaz finished second, thirteen minutes behind and Mathieu Blanchard third in 21:12.43. France completed a clean sweep of top five men’s places.

Dauwalter won her second title in 22:30.54, with Frenchwoman Camille Bruyas second in 24:09.42. Kotka of Sweden finished third in 25:08.29.

D’Haene, despite taking a fourth UTMB title just six weeks after winning the Hardrock 100 mile in the USA, was overshadowed by the phenomenal Dauwalter.

Not only did she deny her female opponents any chance of victory, but with male American stars falling short again, it was Dauwalter who took the challenge to the European men’s domination of the UTMB. Only six men proved up to that challenge.

Hong Konger Wong Ho Chung was 11th overall in a time of 23:17.40.