UTMB® Mont-Blanc has become a must in the trail running world. Today, it’s one of the most fiercely contested trail events on the planet, with the very best ultra-trail athletes lining up every year. It’s also a unique moment of connection where everyone, from every background, pushes past their limits to cross under the iconic finish arch in Chamonix 🎯
Have you ever watched, or even taken part in, an Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc start? I can tell you, it’s absolutely electric.
Let’s break down everything you need to know about the flagship race of ultra-trail running.
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The story begins in 2003 in Chamonix
Often called the race of superlatives, the event made a statement from its very first edition. More than 720 runners signed up, and only 67 finished. In no time, it became the ultimate goal for trail runners everywhere. People travel from all over the world to run this legendary loop around Mont Blanc, crossing France, Italy, and Switzerland.
The Tour du Mont-Blanc has always fascinated mountain lovers. Before UTMB® Mont-Blanc, races already existed on this route, but the Mont Blanc tunnel accident in 1999 abruptly brought that tradition to a halt.
New landmark events, like the Fortiche in the Maurienne Valley over 120 km, began attracting a new wave of challengers.
That’s how, since 2003, Catherine Poletti and Michel Poletti, along with their team, have been organizing what many call the world summit of trail running, UTMB® Mont-Blanc.
The hype has grown year after year. Today, there are 7 races during UTMB week and UTMB® events worldwide, giving endurance athletes everywhere a shot at the experience.
The different races of UTMB® Mont-Blanc
After a few years, organizers noticed that many runners were stopping in Courmayeur and never got the chance to discover Switzerland and its breathtaking landscapes.
That’s why the CCC® was created, to broaden what was possible for runners.
Here’s a quick recap of the different races 👇:
- The UTMB®: starts in Chamonix, 171 km with around 10,000 m of elevation gain, about 2,300 runners, and a maximum time of 46:30 hours (the speed record is 19:01:54, held by François d’Haene).
- The CCC®: starts in Courmayeur, about 101 km with roughly 6,100 m of elevation gain, max 26:30 hours. Around 1,900 runners.
- The TDS®: starts in Courmayeur, about 145 km with roughly 9,100 m of elevation gain, max 44:00 hours. Around 1,600 runners.
- The OCC®: starts in Orsières, about 56 km with roughly 3,500 m of elevation gain, max 14:30 hours. Around 1,200 runners.
- The MCC®: reserved for volunteers, members of the organization, partners, and residents of Valais, Aosta Valley, Savoie, and Haute-Savoie. Starts in Martigny-Combe, about 40 km with around 2,300 m of elevation gain, max 10 hours, for roughly 1,000 runners.
- The PTL®: capped at 300 participants, this one is truly unique. It requires excellent mountain skills and includes sections that are far more technical than what you’ll find in most trail races.
- The YCC®: dedicated to young athletes aged 14 to 22. It includes a prologue in Chamonix, then the next day a 5 to 15 km race (depending on category) in Courmayeur. Around 300 runners.
Who can enter UTMB® Mont-Blanc?
In 2008, six years after the first edition, registration sold out in 8 minutes flat. Can you believe it? Even with a Savoyard accent. Worse than trying to get tickets for an Adele concert in 2015, except this time it’s to go run 171 km. 😨🤯
From that year on, qualifying for the most legendary race in ultra-trail running became much tougher.
Yep, to register you need a minimum number of points (10 for UTMB® Mont-Blanc, 8 for the TDS®, 6 for the CCC®, and 4 for the OCC®) and you also have to get selected in the lottery (drawn 8 months in advance). The fastest runners can receive a reserved entry based on their ITRA rating.
The races are open to any adult (except the YCC®), men and women, with or without a license.
How do you earn UTMB® qualifying points?
You need to race in trail events that are listed with ITRA (the International Trail Running Association). These races let you earn between 1 and 6 points.
For example, the Festival des Templiers race gives you 4 points (78 km and 3,500 m of elevation gain). If you race it twice, you’ll have enough points to apply for the TDS®.
You can learn more about trail rankings and the ITRA rating in this article.
Legendary winners of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc
At the start of this article, I told you how the biggest names have all taken on this mythical challenge, UTMB® Mont-Blanc. Winners have come from every age and every background.
The most decorated champions have each won three times: Spain’s Kilian Jornet (his first win at just 20!), and France’s François d’Haene, who also holds the record at 19:01:54, plus Xavier Thevenard (first win at 25).
On the women’s side, Britain’s Elizabeth Hawker won the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc five times, between the ages of 29 and 36.
France’s Nathalie Mauclair and Caroline Chaverot won in 2015 and 2016, and the French runners Vincent Delebarre and Ludovic Pommeret also have their names in the record books, winning in 2004 and 2016.
The oldest UTMB® Mont-Blanc winner is Italy’s Marco Olmo. He took the title at 60 years old.
See, you can win at any age, you just need a little, okay a lot of training. 😅
This race is not only physical. You need rock-solid mental strength, smart pacing, and real mountain experience to make it to the finish.
How to be ready for UTMB® Mont-Blanc
Don’t forget that to race these events, you need excellent endurance fitness and consistent training over several years. Find more information on the ideal training for UTMB® Mont-Blanc races.
“When you’re in the mountains, what matters is not reaching the summit, it’s getting back home.”
Catherine Poletti
So if the director of UTMB® tells you that, make sure you prepare properly before you find yourself on the start line. 😉
It’s the best way to truly enjoy your race and have a great experience. Of course it will hurt at some point, but structured ultra-trail training will help you push back pain and fatigue, and perform better when it counts.
If it’s your dream, give yourself the tools to make it happen. See you under the finish arch in Chamonix 💪
And this year, RunMotion Coach is the official coach of UTMB® Mont-Blanc! 🥳 So give yourself every chance to turn your dream into reality by training with the RunMotion Coach app! 😉