Ultra League 2026: Lecauchois wins in Tahiti, Ribeiro takes the overall title

The VODAFONE Tahiti Moorea Ultra Trail 2026 (TMUT) closed out the Ultra League 2026 season. Over 102 km and 3,500 m of climbing, France's Yoann Lecauchois and Czech runner Tereza Janikova took the headline race. The overall league title goes to Benoît Ribeiro, thanks to a consistent season and third place in Tahiti, and to Tereza Janikova in the women's standings.

In a traditional atmosphere charged with emotion, the TMUT 105K runners set off on Friday, October 23 for the flagship race of the VODAFONE TMUT 2026, the final stop of the Ultra League 2026 circuit. A fire dance, followed by a Tahitian prayer, marked their last moments of preparation before they headed out to take on the trails of Moorea from Temae beach.

Sick the day before the start, France's Yoann Lecauchois, defending TMUT champion and winner of the 2025 Ultra League, once again showed his grit.

He started cautiously, never gave up and gradually worked his way up the standings, moving from third to first. In the dead of night, after a duel with Alexis Sevennec, he made the difference in the second half of the race and won on Saturday morning in 11:45:16, 12 minutes ahead of Sevennec.

The fight for third place was one of the highlights of this edition. Struggling with an ankle problem from the first 20 kilometers, Louis Calais refused to drop out and pulled off a remarkable comeback. After a fierce battle with Benoît Ribeiro, the two men chose to cross the finish line together, hand in hand, and share third place.

Crossing the line together for third place

That result gives Benoît Ribeiro, already runner-up at the Western Azuréenne this season, the overall win in the 2026 Ultra League standings. The podium of this second edition of the Ultra League is completed by Michaël Retaux and Anthony Pipitone, who also delivered top-level performances on the demanding trails of Moorea.

Men's podium, TMUT 105K 2026

1) Yoann LECAUCHOIS (France): 11:45:16

2) Alexis SEVENNEC (France): 12:07:07

3) Benoît RIBEIRO and Louis CALAIS (France): 12:15:07

Men's podium, Ultra League 2026

1) Benoît RIBEIRO (France)

2) Michaël RETAUX (France)

3) Anthony PIPITONE (France)

A Czech victory in the women's race

In the women's race, Czech runner Tereza Janikova ran solo all night. Setting off at a sustained pace, she stretched her lead kilometer after kilometer. Already in the overall top 10 from the first big climb, she finished on Temae beach in a remarkable ninth place overall, and took the 2026 Ultra League title at the same time.

France's Sarah Thiollier took second in the women's race at the VODAFONE TMUT 105K, as well as in the Ultra League standings. It caps a superb season for the firefighter from the Loire, who had already picked up a fine third place at the Tiger Balm Ultra 01 in early July.

Local runner Laura Diliddo rounds out the VODAFONE TMUT 105K podium. In only her second appearance at the event, she confirms her progression after finishing fifth woman in the TMUT 80K last year. Just off the 105K podium, Catherine Musso still had plenty to celebrate, grabbing third place in the final Ultra League standings. A result that rewards her consistency throughout the season.

Women's podium, VODAFONE TMUT 105K

1) Tereza JANÍKOVÁ (Czech Republic): 15:00:36

2) Sarah THIOLLIER (France): 18:01:40

3) Laura DILIDDO (France): 18:36:36

Women's podium, Ultra League 2026

1) Tereza JANÍKOVÁ (Czech Republic)

2) Sarah THIOLLIER (France)

3) Catherine MUSSO (France)

2026 results

The organizers will be back on April 23, 2027 to open the next Ultra League season at the Western Azuréenne.