Tom Evans had been right here earlier than. He was a glutton for punishment.

His final two makes an attempt on the Extremely-Path du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), one of many hardest endurance races on the planet, had resulted in failure. One virtually resulted in tragedy.

However right here he was again once more to sort out his nemesis for the fourth time.

Beginning in Chamonix, within the French Alps, the 175.4km (109 mile) course round Mont Blanc runs by way of Italy and Switzerland with an elevation acquire of 10,000m earlier than ending again the place it began.

Battling blizzard-like situations, the Briton took victory an an unbelievable 19 hours, 18 minutes and 58 seconds, ending 32 minutes forward of second place American Ben Dhiman, with fellow Briton Josh Wade in third.

“The final two years, I’ve not completed, so to have the ability to come from that with a win and put my worries relaxed and show if you happen to actually wish to obtain one thing, you discover a strategy to do it…” the previous military officer, 33, advised BBC Sport, his phrases trailing off.

“It is a race that begins at 6pm and also you run by way of the night time.

“This yr we had rain, snow and gale power winds and the gap itself is not any joke. It will be a good distance in a automobile.

“It’s the equal of the Tremendous Bowl for path working and over the previous few years it has grown and grown.”