Lizzy Hawker won the women's UTMB race for the fifth time. Photo: Chiara Dendena

British ultrarunner Lizzy Hawker stamped her authority on one of the world’s toughest races with a fifth victory in the women’s section of the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc.

Hawker crossed the finishing line at Chamonix in 12hrs 32mins 13secs to take the women’s title early this morning in the tenth running of the event.

She came in 16th overall in a race shortened and switched to a different course because of severe weather conditions. Lizzy Hawker finished 45 minutes ahead of second-place Francesca Canepa.

The North Face athlete was described by organisers as ‘fresh as a rose’ at the finish line. She said: “I’m really happy to have finished. It was fantastic. It was very cold at the beginning of the race, on the La Balme side.”

Frenchman Francois d’Haene was the overall winner of the 103km race, with a time of 10hrs 31mins 30secs, 31 minutes ahead of Swede Jonas Buud, with US athlete Michael Foote third with a time of 11hrs 19mins 0secs.

British men’s hopeful Jez Bragg had a disappointing race, dropping out early on the course, though he did have the consolation of seeing his fiancée Gemma Taylor complete the shorter CCC race in 16½ hours.