The UTMB World Series is the biggest mountain trail race worldwide. Find the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc runner qualifications and more about the UTMB races here!
Did you know every August, the population of Chamonix, France, doubles? Chamonix — where the UTMB races take place — sees men and women sporting running packs, hiking poles, and muddy trail shoes flooding its borders.
These trail runners come to run one of the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc races. Some of the most difficult trail races in the world.
And it’s a beautiful sight to watch.
So, let’s look at the UTMB Mont-Blanc, the UTMB qualifying races, how you qualify for one, and all the other fun bits and details.
See the UTMB 2022 results here!
What is UTMB?
The most straightforward comparison to make is it’s the Super Bowl of ultrarunning.
However, that’s a bit simplistic and doesn’t fully capture the grandeur of this race.
The UTMB ultramarathon race is a 100-mile (170-kilometer) course race around the highest mountains in France, Switzerland, and Italy in the Alps.
If the distance isn’t enough to ‘wow’ you, how about adding 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) of elevation gain to the mix?
Not enough for you? Add in the occasional snow, rain, windstorms, and all the dangers of running through high mountain passes.
Mix in a little sugar and spice, and that’s UTMB.
But that’s just one of the races. The UTMB World Series event is an entire running festival where you’ll see runners tackle all types of terrain and distances.
How many races are there in UTMB?
There are 6 major events and 1 youth event in the UTMB series. But, what are the different UTMB races? They are:
- Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB)
- Petit Trotte a Leon (PTL UTMB)
- Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie (TDS UTMB)
- Courmayeur – Champex – Chamonix (CCC UTMB)
- Orsieres – Champex – Chamonix (OCC UTMB)
- De Martigny-Combe a Chamonix (MCC UTMB)
Now, let’s get a quick overview of each major race.
Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB race)
- 106 miles (170 kilometers)
- 33,000 feet (10,000 meters)
UTMB map
UTMB elevation profile
Petit Trotte a Leon (PTL race)
- 186 miles (300 kilometers)
- 82,000 feet (25,000 meters) of elevation gain
- Team-based
- No waymarkers and a different route each year
- Orienteering skills are essential
- Started in 2008
PTL map
Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie (TDS race)
- 90 miles (145 kilometers)
- 30,000 feet (9,100 meters) elevation gain
- Started in 2009
TDS map
TDS elevation profile
Courmayeur—Champex—Chamonix (CCC race)
- 63 miles (101 kilometers)
- 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) elevation gain
- Started in 2006
CCC map
CCC elevation profile
Orsieres—Champex—Chamonix (OCC race)
- 34 miles (55 kilometers)
- 11,500 feet (3,500 meters) elevation gain
- Started in 2014
OCC map
OCC elevation profile
De Martigny-Combe A Chamonix (MCC race)
- 25 miles (40 kilometers)
- 7500 feet (2,300 meters) elevation
- For locals and volunteers
- Started in 2018
MCC map
MCC elevation profile
How hard is it to qualify for UTMB races?
The UTMB series has only become more difficult to qualify for because of its increase in popularity.
So, they’ve switched to a system of ‘Running Stones’. These replaced the qualifying points system, where you needed a certain number of points (UTMB points) to enter. Now, points aren’t needed to enter.
At least one Running Stone is one entry into the UTMB World Series Final lottery (UTMB, UTMB PTL, UTMB TDS, UTMB OCC, UTMB CCC, or UTMB MCC).
You earn these by participating in one of the UTMB Index races. Various distances exist (20K, 50K, 100K, and 100M categories), and points are allocated based on the distance and difficulty of the race. And there are a number of races worldwide, from North America to Europe to Asia, so it shouldn’t be a problem finding one.
Once you earn running stones, you need a valid and up-to-date UTMB index.
You get this by participating in one of the UTMB World Series Majors, event races, or a UTMB index race within the last two years.
Then (and only then) can you use your Running Stones to enter a race via the UTMB lottery.
If you’re selected via the lottery, the Running Stones disappear. If you’re not selected, they return to your account.
UTMB Running Stones don’t expire, but you have to have earned at least one within the last two years to enter the lottery.
Simple, right?
For elite runners, the process is much simpler and usually get an invite to participate.
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Where to find the UTMB Index Races
Luckily, UTMB wants you to participate in their race.
So, they’ve made it easy for you to find their races with a dedicated search.
You can head to the UTMB Index Races page to search by category, country, date, and more.
So, head over and find your qualifying race and let’s get the training started!
What is the fastest time at UTMB?
Francois D’Haene from France set the men’s course record in 2017 with a time of 19:01:32. This beat the previous record of 20:11:44, which he also set in 2014.
Courtney Dauwalter from the USA set the women’s course record in 2021 with a time of 22:30:54. This beat the previous record of 22:37:26 set by Rory Bosio (a fellow American) in 2013 respectively.
Conclusion
Whether you have goals to run UTMB Mont Blanc, CCC Chamonix, or any other races, or simply to observe the festivities, it’s a joy to be a part of.
The UTMB is a giant display of everything great about trail and ultrarunning.
From the start of the race, through Champex Lac, La Fouly, and Les Contamines, to the finishing line in Chamonix, the trail running world tunes in to this one small town in France that becomes the center of our universe.
