UTMB Mont-Blanc race guide

The races of UTMB week

The week has eight races, all finishing in Chamonix. The four best known are below. Distances vary slightly year to year, and the official track app often measures them a little differently from the race pages.

How to get a place

For the UTMB, CCC and OCC you need two things: a valid UTMB Index in a suitable category, and at least one Running Stone earned in the two years before the lottery closes. The Index comes from finishing World Series or UTMB Index races. Running Stones come from finishing World Series events.

In 2026 pre-registration for the lottery ran from 8 to 19 January, results came out on 22 January, and selected runners had to pay by 4 February. The 2027 calendar was not yet published in October 2026. The TDS is first come, first served instead of a lottery, and needs a 100K or 100M Index.

• How race entry systems work

The UTMB course

The UTMB loops anticlockwise around Mont Blanc from Chamonix. It climbs over Col de Voza to Saint-Gervais and Les Contamines, passes the Croix du Bonhomme to Les Chapieux, and enters Italy at Col de la Seigne. After Courmayeur at about 81 km it runs along the Italian Val Ferret, crosses into Switzerland at Grand Col Ferret, and passes La Fouly, Champex-Lac and Trient before returning to France at Vallorcine and finishing over La Flégère.

Most runners spend one or two nights on the course. Crews may help only at Les Contamines, Courmayeur, Champex-Lac and Vallorcine, and drop bags are available at Courmayeur and Champex-Lac.

Checkpoints and cutoffs

These are the main checkpoints on the 2026 UTMB, with their cutoffs and crew access.

• Plan your splits in the pace planner

The 2026 UTMB course, rerouted to skip the Pyramides Calcaires, from the official track app. Cutoffs are local time after a 7:45 p.m. Friday start, delayed two hours by weather. Assistance means one crew member with a bag of up to 30 litres. Source: official race website, checked 19 October 2026.

Mandatory kit

The 2026 list for the UTMB, CCC and TDS includes the items below. The OCC and shorter races need less. Missing a jacket, headlamp, survival blanket, phone or water means disqualification, and most other missing items cost a one-hour penalty.

• ID, and a phone with the LiveTrail app and roaming on. Airplane mode is penalised.
• At least 1 litre of water capacity, a survival blanket of 1.40 by 2 m, and a whistle.
• A hooded waterproof jacket with taped seams, and waterproof overtrousers.
• Two working headlamps with spare power. On the UTMB one must have a forward red beam, to protect the Contamines-Montjoie nature reserve.
• A warm long-sleeved second layer, a beanie and warm waterproof gloves.
• A self-adhesive elastic bandage, a cap or buff, a personal cup of at least 15 cl, and a food reserve.

• Organise your kit
• Choose trekking poles

How many people finish?

About two in three UTMB starters finish. In 2026, 1,681 of 2,406 did, 69.9%. The CCC and OCC finish rates are higher, and the TDS lower: in 2026 only 55.4% of TDS starters finished.

Results and records

In 2026 Ben Dhiman of the USA won in 18:16:29 and Blandine L'Hirondel of France in 21:54:49. They are the fastest times ever run at UTMB, but iRunFar does not count them as course records because the course was changed at the last minute. Kilian Jornet and François D'Haene have each won four times, and Lizzy Hawker holds the women's record with five wins.

• Official live results

History

Catherine and Michel Poletti created the UTMB in Chamonix in 2003. Qualifying points and a lottery arrived in 2008, when demand outgrew the places. The 2020 race was cancelled.

In 2021 UTMB Group and The IRONMAN Group announced the UTMB World Series, which launched in 2022 and now has more than 60 events. The partnership has drawn criticism from some runners and races over commercialisation, and in 2023 several elite athletes pushed for changes in how the series is run.

Training for UTMB

UTMB is about long, steep alpine climbs and descents, two nights without much sleep, and changeable mountain weather. Train with lots of vertical, hike well with poles if you plan to use them, and do long days in the mountains carrying the full mandatory kit. Practise eating and keeping warm at night above 2,000 m.

• Follow the 100-mile training plan

Getting there and race week

Geneva is the nearest airport, about an hour and a half away by bus or train. The organiser strongly advises against hiring a car and suggests trains via Saint-Gervais, Geneva or Annecy, or night trains. During the week, free buses and trains take runners to every start, and official transport to the OCC and MCC starts is compulsory.

Supporters can follow the races on the official UTMB Mobility coaches, with passes sold in advance only. Many roads and car parks along the route are closed on race days.

Following the races

live.utmb.world carries live broadcasts, real-time rankings and statistics, and the official track app follows every runner, with livecams at several aid stations.

• UTMB live

Running for good at UTMB

UTMB's environmental programme, UTMB for the Planet, works on the environment, local communities and people. The week's footprint in 2024 was 18,600 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, 88% of it from travel, which is why the race rewards car-free travel and charges a carbon contribution. The target is a 20% cut by 2030. Plastic cups went in 2007 and single-use bottles in 2023.

In 2025 the event donated €445,000 to 20 associations, and 2,600 volunteers from 18 local municipalities helped run it. Charity places raise money through the UTMB Cares Foundation, and the Solidarity Commission of Les Amis de l'UTMB supports local causes.

• UTMB charity places
• How to volunteer at an ultra

Questions people ask