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If you’re reading this then we’re guessing that you saw the UTMB or Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc plastered all over Instagram and the rest of the internet this August. You’ve read about the winners, the battles for the podium, the crushing DNFs, and those crossing the finish line just ahead of the cut-off with the whole family in tow. You’ve watched the live stream, amazed at the beauty of the route and imagined yourself on those trails. From its humble beginnings in 2003, the UTMB has become what is considered the pinnacle of ultra trail running 100 mile races around the world. That first UTMB attracted 722 runners. Now spanning a whole week in Chamonix and containing a multitude of races of varying distances, catering for amateur runners of all ages, locals, and elites alike, there were over 10,000 runners toeing the start line of the UTMB races in 2024. The evolution of these races has led to a system that not only verifies that participants have the necessary level of experience, but also helps to control entry numbers. It now appears that the UTMB organisation is also using this system to drive revenue, as runners aiming for the most popular races are required to earn a ‘Running Stone’ by completing another race from the UTMB World Series. So just how does the system work and what do you need to do to enter one of the UTMB races? It’s not as complicated as it sounds, and we’re here to explain. What is the UTMB? When you think about the UTMB, you are probably referring to the actual UTMB race. It loops around the Mont Blanc massif, across 171 kilometers and with 10,000 meters of positive elevation gain. Running through three countries in the heart of the Alps – France, Italy & Switzerland - the UTMB is one of the prestigious UTMB World Series Finals races, which are held in August annually. The 3 key races are the UTMB, CCC and OCC. To enter one of these races you need to first be successful in the lottery, and to enter the lottery you will require the following Running Stones and UTMB Index, but more about those later:
When is the lottery for the UTMB World Series Finals? Pre-registration for races opens in mid-December and closes in mid-January. Registration is via your My UTMB account on the main home page. Running Stones and UTMB Indexes have to be gained and active before that period closes. If you are successful in the lottery, you will be offered a place in the race you applied for and all Running Stones held will be consumed in the process. If you are unsuccessful, you keep your Running Stones. What is a Running Stone? Running Stones are earned from completing a UTMB World Series Event. Generally the harder the race, the more Running Stones you are awarded. The more Running Stones you have, the more chances you get in the UTMB World Series Finals lottery for the UTMB, CCC and OCC races. Running Stones do not expire until they are used in a successful lottery, but they become 'dormant' after two years and need to be reactivated by gaining a further stone. If you are not successful in the lottery, you keep your Running Stones to use again another time, but a successful lottery means all stones are used and thus not available for future lotteries. UTMB World Series Events, which award Running Stones, can be found here. What is a UTMB Index qualifying race? Not to be confused with your personal UTMB Index, a UTMB Index race is categorised as 20K, 50K, 100K or 100M. Indexes are awarded based on a combination of distance and elevation of a qualifying race. There are a number of races worldwide that have been given authority by the UTMB organisation to award a UTMB Index. Some these also award Running Stones, but not all of them. UTMB Indexes are valid for two years from the date of the race you completed. UTMB Index qualifying races can be found here. What is the UTMB World Series? This collection of races, which is growing annually, sits under the well-established UTMB organisation. They award Running Stones and a UTMB Index, both of which are required to qualify for the lottery of the UTMB World Series Finals (the UTMB, CCC and OCC races). UTMB World Series races can be found here. What are the UTMB World Series Majors? These races enable you to collect double the amount of Running Stones compared to other UTMB World Series Events for the UTMB World Series Finals lottery. In total 210 runners are also granted automatic qualification for the UTMB World Series Finals through each Major. This includes age-group category winners and the top 10 male and female runners in the 100M, 100K and 50K categories. There are currently Majors races in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions. UTMB World Series Majors races can be found here. Are there other ways to gain entry to the UTMB races? Can I skip the lottery for the UTMB races?
What other races are there during UTMB week? Other races form part of UTMB week, with a variety of different qualification criteria. These are:
So there you have it. There is still time to gain the Running Stones and UTMB Index you need this year, if you are lucky enough to have a relevant race near you, and race entries are now opening for many of next years qualifying races. Time to make that dream a reality! Not interested in racing, but would love to experience the beauty of the UTMB route for yourself? We offer three different options departing from Chamonix:
Happy Running, Sam x Disclaimer: details correct at the time of publishing. Please contact us if you find a discrepancy, as regulations can change.
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