Kris & Keith Go 1-2 At the Arc of Attrition
The 2026 trail racing season kicked off with brilliant successes for the team as Kris Jones won the 50 miles of the Arc of Attrition by UTMB, while Keith Wigley followed in second place (improving from third last year). Sam Bentham also ran a strong race in the inaugural 12-mile race, finishing 4th just 10 seconds off the podium.
Kris crossing the finish line of the 50 miles © Evan Davies
Kris and Keith dominated the race from the start, setting the pace early on and securing the top two steps of the podium in a well planned and executed effort.
The Arc of Attrition by UTMB is a gruelling 50-mile race on the South West Coast Path of the United Kingdom, covering technical terrain in winter weather conditions. This year’s edition was made more difficult by the arrival of Storm Ingrid for the weekend, bringing strong winds and rain and making the underfoot conditions particularly challenging. Kris says: “Hours of up, down, slip, slide, rock hopping and bog hopping took their toll. The underfoot conditions were brutal, more bog and stream than path at times.”
Kris & Keith mid-race - captured by Poppy
Kris had already won the Arc 25 - a 25-mile (41.2 km) race with 1240 m of ascent - in 2025. This is his first attempt at the longer distance, with the Arc 50 totalling 80.5 km with 2550 m of ascent. He has previously secured multiple 50k podiums in the 2025 UTMB World Series and finished last year with a 5th place in the highly competitive UTMB World Final for the 50 km distance, the OCC.
Second-placed Keith improved on his position from placing third at the Arc 50 in 2025. This is his third UTMB World Series podium in a row, after also securing third place at the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB in the 100 km distance, in Wales, last May.
ETT Founder and Coach Doug Stewart comments: “Kris and Keith both performed really well in very difficult conditions, each running to their strengths and staying focused on their own race. They executed their nutrition plan perfectly (fuelled by our partner Nduranz) and this showed in how they were able to keep a strong pace all the way to the end, after hours fighting the elements. I am really excited for what the rest of 2026 has in store for the both of them.”
The ETT was also represented at the event by Sam Bentham, who recently placed 10th at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships Under-20 race and helped his team secure a silver medal. In Cornwall, Sam ran the Arc 12 - a new race of 24.2 km and 980 m of ascent. Having not competed in a UTMB event before, he was not seeded as elite and started in the second wave of runners, fighting hard to obtain the best time possible. Despite this, he placed fourth overall, just 10 seconds off the podium. A brilliant start for Sam as he eyes more competitive races on the international stage.
Keith battling through the storm - captured by Poppy