Garmin and Amazfit Dominate UTMB 2025 Podiums

At UTMB 2025, two brands claimed the wrists of the fastest ultra-runners on the planet: Garmin and Amazfit. This is not a surprise. The same pattern has repeated year after year, with only rare exceptions breaking the duopoly at the front of the race.

Garmin's grip on elite ultra running makes sense. The Fenix 8 and Epix Pro offer battery life measured in days, not hours, and GPS accuracy that holds up through dense Alpine forest where other watches struggle. For a 100-mile race with 10,000m of elevation gain, you need a watch that lasts the entire effort without a charge stop.

Amazfit's presence at the sharp end is the more interesting story. The T-Rex 3 and Falcon push into Garmin territory with comparable battery figures and a significantly lower price point. Where a Garmin Fenix 8 Sapphire runs close to 900 euros, the Amazfit Falcon sits under 500. That gap matters even to sponsored athletes.

Noticeably absent from the UTMB podiums: Apple Watch, Whoop, and Polar. Apple Watch Ultra 2 has the hardware but not the battery. Whoop has no GPS. Polar's Grit X2 Pro is a solid ultra watch but hasn't cracked the elite ultra scene at scale. Coros occasionally shows up, though the Apex 2 Pro remains more of a training tool than a race-day staple for top finishers.

The verdict is simple. If you're picking a watch for a multi-day mountain ultra, Garmin is still the benchmark. Amazfit is the credible alternative. Everyone else is watching from the sidelines.