Tom Evans

Tom Evans (born 3 February 1992) is a British long-distance, trail and ultramarathon runner. A former British Army captain, he is best known for winning the Western States Endurance Run in 2023 and the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in 2025. He also won the CCC race at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc festival in 2018 and won an individual bronze medal at the 2018 Trail World Championships.

Early life and military career Evans grew up in Sussex and was active in sport from a young age, running in national school competitions and playing rugby. At 18 he joined the British Army and trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He later served as an officer in the Welsh Guards.

During a ten-month Army posting to Kenya in 2015, Evans returned to regular running while training in a country associated with elite distance running.

Running career

Breakthrough in ultrarunning Evans first gained international attention in 2017 at the Marathon des Sables, a multi-stage desert ultramarathon in Morocco. He entered the race after a bet with friends and finished third overall in 19:49:33, becoming one of the leading European performers in the race's history. Later in 2017 he finished fourth in the CCC race at the UTMB festival.

In 2018, Evans won The Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica and the South Downs Way 50 before taking individual bronze at the Trail World Championships in Penyagolosa, Spain. Great Britain also won team silver in the men's competition. Later that year he won the CCC in 10:44:32, passing the leaders late in the race.

Western States and international success Evans made his 100-mile debut at the 2019 Western States Endurance Run, finishing third in 14:59:44. The performance was widely reported as the fastest overseas time at Western States at the time and placed him among the fastest finishers in race history.

Evans underwent knee surgery in 2021 and returned to major international racing in 2022. In 2022 he won the Advanced race at Transgrancanaria, the MIUT 85 in Madeira, and the Scafell Sky Race, then finished third at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in 20:34:35.

UTMB victory Evans placed second at Lavaredo Ultra Trail and third at Transvulcania in 2024, then recorded three major victories in 2025 before the UTMB: Arc of Attrition 50, Tenerife Bluetrail 110K and the UTMB itself. BBC Sport reported that he became the first British man to win UTMB since Jez Bragg in 2010 and the first Briton to win the race since Lizzy Hawker's series of women's victories from 2005 to 2012. Runner's World noted that the win followed his 2018 CCC title and his 2023 Western States victory.

Training Evans has been associated with a highly structured approach to ultramarathon preparation. Wired reported that, at peak training volume, he ran 160–190 km per week and trained up to 30 hours weekly, combining running with weights, cross-training, physiotherapy, mobility work, biomechanical analysis and nutrition support. His preparation for Western States included heat adaptation, detailed course study and race-specific equipment choices.

Personal life Evans is married to British triathlete Sophie Coldwell. Coldwell won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in the mixed relay triathlon and later moved into trail running. She and Evans have a daughter, Phoebe, who was present with Coldwell at the finish of Evans's 2025 UTMB victory.

Selected results