Women's Health August 27, 2026 0 Comments

Lauren Gregory Pushed Past Every Limit at OCC – But What She Discovered Next Will Blow Your Mind!

Ever wonder what it takes to conquer 37 miles of rugged Alpine terrain with over 11,000 feet of elevation gain—and still have the grit to snatch victory in the final kilometer? Well, buckle up, because the women’s OCC ultra trail race just served up one heck of a showdown. Lauren Gregory, a powerhouse coming from a background of speedy 5Ks, wasn’t even sure she was ready to own this monstrous challenge. Yet, with relentless heart and laser focus, she surged past seasoned rivals in a breathtaking finale that kept everyone on their toes. It’s not just a race—it’s a mind-bending test of mental toughness, strategy, and raw stamina that blurs the line between pain and triumph. Curious how this all unfolded and what it really takes to rule the mountains? Get ready—this story will fuel your fire. LEARN MORE

3 min read

The women’s OCC (the prestigious Orsières–Champex–Chamonix, an ultra trail race spanning 60 kilometers through the Alps, for the uninformed) at the Hoka Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) just finished in epic fashion. With just three kilometers to go, Lauren Gregory moved from her third-place standing to second, overtaking Sara Alonso. Then, with only one kilometer left, the 27-year-old passed race leader Naomi Lang. In an extremely close race, Gregory won after six hours, eight minutes, and seven seconds of running. Lang was seconds behind her; Alonso was just over a minute.

OCC isn’t just any trail race—it spans over 37 miles across the Swiss and French Alps and brings runners up more than 11,482 feet of elevation gain. And, just the day before taking it on, Gregory wasn’t so sure how the race was going to go.

“I’m hoping to learn where my upper limits are and where my strengths and weaknesses are in this longer distance—because 60K is pretty far for me,” she told Women’s Health at a hotel in Chamonix, France, minutes from the finish line she’d be sprinting across the next day. “This is still definitely going to feel like a bit of a reach, but not too much, which is why I’m here.”

Heading into OCC, Gregory kept an open mind.

And ate some pasta, of which there is plenty in Chamonix, she said. The Nike ACG athlete was coming off a win at the Golden Trail World Series and the Speedgoat 50K, but she wasn’t taking anything for granted. Mostly, the race was about seeing what she could do. She didn’t bring up winning at all. “This is my first time here,” she said. “I don’t know how it’ll all shake out and a lot of the course will be new to me, so that’ll be fun. I’m really just out here to just get the experience.”

There were a lot of unknowns: the course, the competitors—the distance. Gregory’s background mostly consists of shorter distances (we’re talking 5Ks, not 60Ks) on a track (compared to a rugged trail). It was probably that speedy background that helped her overtake Naomi once the two women approached Chamonix’s city center.

The mentality for a 5K and 60K is pretty similar, if you ask Gregory.

It all comes down to that final effort. “The last quarter of everything hurts,” she said. “A 60K is low level hurt for a few hours, whereas in a 5K it’s high level hurt for three laps or so.”

Having experienced plenty of difficult last quarters, Gregory built the mental toughness she needed to finish so strong today. “You know the last quarter of everything’s going to suck, so I’m prepared mentally for something like that,” she said. “It doesn’t feel as foreign because I know it in other distances too. Even though this is an unknown distance, I can always make it through the last quarter.”

The women’s OCC race was the one to watch.

After she crossed the finish line, Gregory was immediately followed by Lang. As the crowd cheered for the nail-biting finish, both women hugged and celebrated their accomplishment together. Once she arrived at the finish a minute later, Alonso got the crowd’s attention before doing the worm.

As more women get into trail and ultra running, such an exciting moment at one of the sport’s biggest races continues to prove how much of an impact we can make. “It’s really cool that to me, the depth and the overall quality of the women’s race is on par to the men’s and in some fields the women’s race is stronger than the men’s,” Gregory said. “Running is all one event. We are all here together. We’re all equally doing the same distance and have the same quality of competition.” It’s all worth watching.

Now, Gregory’s ready to take a well-deserved break.

Immediately following her win, she said she was looking forward to getting a burger at Chamonix’s Poco Loco. Then, she’s taking a trip to Italy to relax on the beach instead of going back home to Boulder, Colorado, where she says she’d be too tempted to immediately start running again with friends. “I’ll be getting out of my normal rhythm—drinking coffee, maybe having a beer in the middle of the day—getting to do what I would never do when training.” Bon voyage!

Olivia Luppino is an associate editor at Women’s Health. She spends most of her time interviewing expert sources about the latest fitness trends, nutrition tips, and practical advice for living a healthier life. Olivia previously wrote for New York Magazine’s The Cut, PS (formerly POPSUGAR), and Salon, where she also did on-camera interviews with celebrity guests. She recently ran the New York City Marathon.