 | It has been suggested that this article besplit out into articles titledUltra-Trail du Mont-Blanc andUTMB World Series. (Discuss)(January 2023) |
| Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc | |
|---|---|
 Finish line in 2015 | |
| Date | end of August |
| Location |  Chamonix, France |
| Event type | Ultramarathon trail run |
| Distance | 174-kilometre (108 mi) |
| Established | 2003 |
| Course records | Men:Jim Walmsley 19:37:43 (2023) Women:Katie Schide 22:09:31 (2024) |
| Official site | https://montblanc.utmb.world/ |
TheUltra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) is a mountainultramarathon race, first held in 2003, that follows the route of theTour du Mont Blanc. It has been regarded as the most competitivetrailultramarathon in the world.[1]
Renamed in 2023 asUTMB World Series Finals, it is the final event of the UTMB World Series qualification races held throughout the world.[2]
Catherine and Michel Poletti founded UTMB in 2003.[3] Today, its events are produced by the UTMB Group[4] which, since May 2021, has partnered with theIronman Group when it was announcedIronman acquired a 45% stake in the business.[5]
The race takes place once a year on either the last weekend in August or the first weekend of September in theAlps. It follows the route of theTour du Mont Blanc throughFrance,Italy andSwitzerland. It has a distance of approximately 171 kilometres (106 mi), and a total elevation gain of around 10,040 metres (32,940 ft). It is widely regarded as one of the most difficult foot races in the world, and one of the largest with more than 2,500 starters.[6] It is one of several races during a week-long festival based aroundChamonix in France, and is a race of theUltra-Trail World Tour. The races have strict entry and qualification requirements attained by accumulating enough race points through qualifying trail races over the previous two-year period. In 2016 and 2017, 42% and 35% of runners did not finish the UTMB race.[6]
While the best runners complete the loop in slightly more than 20 hours, most runners take 32 to 46 hours to reach the finish line. Most runners will have to run through two nights to complete the race.
Since 2006, a second raceCourmayeur -Champex -Chamonix (half-loop) has also been organised, and a third race was added in 2009: "Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie". A fourth shorter "running" event -Orsières -Champex -Chamonix - was added in 2014.
La Petite Trotte à Léon is a non-competitive team event started in 2011. Each team is made of two or three members for safety. The route and direction of the course change every year. In 2015, it was run counterclockwise.
Today, the races consist of the following;
The route follows theTour du Mont Blanchiking path that is usually completed in 7 to 9 days by hikers. This is a loop aroundMont Blanc.
It starts fromChamonix (1,035 m) and goes up to the Col de Voza (1,653 m) to reach Les Contamines (1,150 m), which is the first life base. It then climbs to theCroix du Bonhomme (2,479 m) before going back down to Les Chapieux (1,549 m). The path then runs up to theCol de la Seigne (2,516 m) to enter Italy, and follows the ridge of the Mont-Favre (2,435 m) before going down toCourmayeur (1,190 m), the second life base. It climbs again to the Refuge Bertone (1,989 m) and Arnuva (1,769 m) before reaching its highest point, theGrand Col Ferret (2,537 m), which also marks the border withSwitzerland. The path goes down again to Praz de Fort (1,151 m) viaLa Fouly (1,593 m) before reaching the third life base,Champex d'en Bas (1,391 m). The last part includes two rather low cols: Bovine (1,987 m) and Les Tseppes (1,932 m), separated by Trient (1,300 m). On the descent to Vallorcine (1,260 m), the path re-enters France and crossesArgentière (1,260 m) before finishing atChamonix, its starting point.
The route varies slightly every year, sometimes for safety reasons. In 2010, the route was 166 km long with a total elevation gain of 9500m.
The race's popularity and its entry rate grew significantly since it was first held. The number of entrants doubled from 700 in 2003 to 1,400 in 2004. In 2005, the limit of 5,000 runners was reached 7 months after registration opened.In 2006, the organisers decided to create the CCC to allow more runners to take part. The registrations were sold out in only 2 weeks.In 2007, it was decided that runners must qualify, by running qualifying races beforehand and gaining points. That year the limit of 5,000 runners was reached less than 24 hours after registration opened.For the 2008 event, 6,000 runners registered in only 8 minutes, 5 months before the race.For the 2009 event, the qualifying criteria were tightened to limit the number of qualifying runners, and a draw was introduced to make entry fairer, giving an equal chance to all qualifiers, and making registration more orderly. Despite the stricter criteria, 10% of qualifying entrants were still denied a place, so the organisers raised entry standards still further for the 2010 event so that selection would be based more on capability and experience than luck of the draw.
The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to thecoronaviruspandemic, with all registrants automatically receiving a 55% refund and given the option of reserving a spot for 2021, 2022, or 2023.[8]
On May 6, 2021, UTMB Group made a strategic alliance with famous Triathlon race operatorIRONMAN Group, and launched a brand new series of Trail Running races:UTMB World Series, with Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc to be renamed asUTMB World Series Finals. The annual final competition of this series[2] replaced the Ultra Trail World Tour (UTWT).
As of 2022, the UTMB World Series will integrate four levels of events:
From the Year 2023, access for qualification ofUTMB World Series Finals will have substantial changes, with obtaining Running Stones as the sole way of lottery entry, replacing ITRA Points. To enter the lottery, they need to:[9]
A Running Stone provides one entry in the lottery to participate in the UTMB World Series Finals. Running Stones can be collected by finishing a 20K, 50K, 100K or 100M race of the UTMB World Series circuit. Running Stones are recorded on the runner’s account and each Running Stone improves the odds in the lottery. A valid UTMB Index is achieved by completing at least one UTMB World Series Major, Event, or Qualifier race in the relevant category within the previous 24 months.
Below is a list of 2022 and 2023 UTMB World Series events.[10]
| Year | Distance | Runners | Finishers | Winner Male | Time | Winner Female | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 53 km | 1200 | 1109 | Nicolas Martin | 5:07:45 | Sonia Glarey | 6:37:40 | 2014 full results |
| 2015 | 53 km | 1442 | 1317 | Marc Pinsach Rubirola | 5:21:38 | Celia Chiron | 6:41:53 | 2015 full results |
| 2016 | 55 km | 1413 | 1232 | Xavier Thevenard | 5:28:37 | Mercedes Arcos Zafras | 6:54:13 | 2016 full results |
| 2017 | 55 km | 1565 | 1468 | Marc Lauenstein | 5:19:34 | Eli Gordon Rodriguez | 6:12:16 | 2017 full results |
| 2018 | 55 km | 1572 | 1478 | Erenjia Jia | 5:28:44 | Ruth Croft | 5:53:09 | 2018 full results |
| 2019 | 55 km | 1605 | 1474 | Stian Angermund-Vik | 5:19:24 | Ruth Croft | 5:50:14 | 2019 full results |
| 2020 | cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic[8] | |||||||
| 2021 | 55 km | 1464 | 1359 | Jonathan Albon | 5:02:57 | Blandine L'Hirondel | 5:45:08 | 2021 full results |
| 2022 | 55 km | 1511 | 1190 | Manuel Merillas | 5:18:29 | Sheila Avilés Castaño | 6:10:16 | 2022 full results |
| 2023 | 55 km | 1729 | 1643 | Stian Angermund | 4:42:40 | Toni McCann | 5:18:21 | 2023 full results |
| 2024 | 57 km | 1764 | 1534 | Eli Hemming | 5:11:48 | Miao Yao | 5:54:03 | 2024 full results |
| 2025 | 61 km | 1568 | 1418 | Jim Walmsley | 5:00:35 | Miao Yao[b][12] | 5:35:13 | 2025 full results |
Updated after the 2025 editions.
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The expansion of the World Series through the UTMB Whistler race has caused controversy over allegations that it has forced out a locally organised race from Coast Mountain Trail Running.[13] The announcement by UTMB andVail Resorts was met with public backlash and fears that UTMB is attempting to create a monopoly by taking over current community based races and turning them into a profit-centred event.[14][15][16][17] UTMB later issued a response stating that the CMTR race organisers had stated they were leaving Whistler prior to the setup of the new UTMB race.[18]
In 2023, U.S. ultrarunner Corrinne Malcolm reported that she had been fired from her role as a UTMB commentator after four years, and claimed she had been told she was "too outspoken."[19] Malcolm, who is also a commentator for theWestern States Endurance Run, had previously expressed criticism of UTMB partnerIronman.
In January 2024, elite trail runnersKilian Jornet andZach Miller sparked further controversy in the ultra-running community when a private email they sent to fellow professional athletes was leaked.[20] The email suggested finding an alternative race to the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) for 2024, which some interpreted as a call for boycott. Following public backlash, Jornet clarified that their intention was not to organize a boycott but to raise awareness about concerns within the sport.[21] On January 23, 2024, Jornet and Miller met with UTMB Group representatives to discuss issues such as the rapid expansion of the UTMB World Series, sporting rules, and community engagement.[22] While the meeting was described as productive, with both parties expressing a desire for continued dialogue, it was notable that Kilian Jornet did not participate in the 2024 UTMB edition.[23]
