HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc: The Complete Guide to Trail Running's Greatest Week
- May 10
- 13 min read
By Andy Hood | RunningWestwardHo.co.uk
Ultra runner | Cancer survivor | Tour du Mont Blanc two-time finisher
Every August, something extraordinary happens to a small Alpine town in the French Alps. Chamonix, population 9,000, doubles in size almost overnight. The streets fill with muddy trail shoes, compression socks, trekking poles, and the particular kind of wild-eyed enthusiasm that only ultrarunners truly understand. The cafés buzz in a dozen languages. The mountains loom.
And for one extraordinary week, the world of trail and ultra running converges on the shadow of Mont Blanc for what is, without question, the sport's biggest and most celebrated festival.
This is UTMB week. And I've been lucky enough to experience it from a very particular vantage point.
I've run the Tour du Mont Blanc twice, the same iconic 170km route that the UTMB race itself follows, not as an official race entrant, but on my own terms, carrying names of those affected by cancer, taking on the mountains in the days leading up to race week.
This August I'll be back in Chamonix. And this time I'll be staying through the full race week, bringing you live coverage from the heart of the action. But more on that later.
First, let's break down everything you need to know about the most iconic week in trail running.
A Brief History: From Local Dream to Global Phenomenon, UTMB Mont-Blanc
The UTMB was born in 2003 from the vision of husband-and-wife team Catherine and Michel Poletti. Their idea was as audacious as it was simple: create an ultra trail race that followed the established Tour du Mont Blanc hiking route, circumnavigating the Mont Blanc massif through France, Italy, and Switzerland in a single continuous effort.
The first edition drew a modest field of passionate mountain runners. Few at the time could have predicted what it would become. Within a few years, the race had outgrown its roots and started attracting the world's best trail runners. Names like Kilian Jornet, François D'Haene, and Lizzy Hawker turned the UTMB podium into hallowed ground.
By 2021, the UTMB Group had partnered with IRONMAN, the triathlon giant, which acquired a 45% stake in the business and helped turbocharge the race's global ambitions. The UTMB World Series was launched, transforming what had been a single iconic race in Chamonix into a global qualification circuit spanning five continents, with 43+ events feeding into the Chamonix Finals. Renamed the UTMB World Series Finals in 2023, the Chamonix week now sits at the pinnacle of a worldwide trail running ecosystem.
The growth hasn't been without controversy. Kilian Jornet famously called out the organisation's sponsorship deals, and critics have questioned whether commercialisation risks diluting the grassroots spirit of the sport. But whatever your take on the politics, the racing itself remains breathtaking, the atmosphere in Chamonix is like nothing else in endurance sport, and the mountains don't care about sponsorship deals.
The Races: What Happens During UTMB Week
UTMB week isn't just one race. It's a full festival of events spread across the week, catering to every level of trail runner. Here's your complete guide to every race on the programme.
UTMB® — The Flagship 100-Miler
Distance: ~172km (107 miles) | Elevation gain: ~10,000m (32,800ft) | Countries: France, Italy, Switzerland | Cut-off: 46 hours 30 minutes
This is it. The one. The race that started everything and the reason the world descends on Chamonix. Starting and finishing in the centre of Chamonix, the UTMB follows the Tour du Mont Blanc trail in an anti-clockwise direction, passing through iconic villages including Les Contamines, Courmayeur, Champex-Lac, and Vallorcine before the final climb and descent back to the finish line under the lights of the Place du Triangle de l'Amitié.
The course is relentlessly demanding. Over 50 checkpoints track runners in real time. Pacers are not permitted. Most amateur finishers will run through two full nights on the mountain. In challenging years, and 2025 was a vivid reminder of this, runners face driving rain, wind, and snow across high Alpine passes reaching over 2,500 metres. The DNF rate in difficult editions can exceed 35%. Yet every year, thousands queue up to try.
Elite men finish in around 19-20 hours. Most of the field takes 30-46 hours. Every single finisher, regardless of time, is met by roaring crowds in the centre of Chamonix in scenes that never get old.
Requires Running Stones and UTMB Index: Yes, 100M category index required.
CCC® — Courmayeur–Champex–Chamonix
Distance: ~100km (62 miles) | Elevation gain: ~6,100m (20,000ft) | Cut-off: 26 hours 30 minutes
The CCC is the halfway sibling of the big race, starting across the border in Courmayeur, Italy, and running the final portion of the TMB route back to Chamonix via Champex-Lac in Switzerland. For many runners, the CCC is the dream stepping stone race, a 100km monster in its own right, but one that offers a more achievable entry point into the UTMB universe.
Don't let the "smaller" distance fool you. The CCC is a genuinely brutal race with significant altitude and technical terrain. The finish into Chamonix is every bit as emotional as the flagship race.
Requires Running Stones and UTMB Index: Yes, 50K category index required.
OCC — Orsières–Champex–Chamonix
Distance: ~56km (35 miles) | Elevation gain: ~3,500m (11,500ft) | Cut-off: 14 hours
Starting in Orsières, Switzerland, the OCC is the most accessible of the three lottery races, running the final section of the TMB route through the Swiss Alps and into Chamonix. For many runners, the OCC is their entry point into the UTMB Finals ecosystem, and making it to the start line in Chamonix on OCC day feels every bit as special as any other race.
Requires Running Stones and UTMB Index: Yes, 20K category index required.
TDS® — Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie
Distance: ~145km (90 miles) | Elevation gain: ~9,100m (29,850ft) | Cut-off: 44 hours
First run in 2009, the TDS offers an alternative 100-mile experience, starting in Courmayeur and taking a longer, more remote southern route back to Chamonix through the Aosta Valley and the Beaufortain. The TDS is often considered the most technically demanding race of the week, with higher, more exposed terrain and less infrastructure. It's a race for those who prefer their ultra running raw and unfiltered.
Requires Running Stones and UTMB Index: Yes, 100M category index required. Runners earn 4 Running Stones upon finishing TDS.
PTL® — Petite Trotte à Léon
Distance: ~300km | Elevation gain: ~25,000m+ | Teams of 2-3 runners | Time limit: ~152 hours
Named in honour of Léon Girel, the PTL is in a different category entirely. It is a mostly self-supported team event with no course markings and no aid stations, following a high-altitude route around the Mont Blanc massif that far exceeds the standard TMB trail.
Teams navigate by GPS, maps, and road book, sleeping in mountain huts and local gîtes. The course reaches up to 3,300 metres and must be completed in approximately six days.
The PTL is for the most experienced and self-sufficient mountain runners. It is the adventure race within the adventure race.
No Running Stones required for entry.
MCC — Mont-Blanc Classic Chamonix
Distance: ~25km | Elevation gain: ~1,500m | Entry: Lottery (no Stones or Index required)
Starting in Chamonix itself, the MCC takes in the iconic Aiguille Rouge ridge before descending back to the valley. From 2026, the MCC moves to a full lottery entry system, though Running Stones and a UTMB Index are not required.
Note that entry is restricted to residents of the host communes.
ETC — Experience Trail Chamonix
Distance: ~15km | Elevation gain: ~800m | Entry: Lottery (no Stones or Index required)
The ETC is designed as an accessible introduction to UTMB week for trail runners who aren't yet chasing the big distances. From 2026, it also moves to a lottery format. Finishing the ETC does earn runners 1 Running Stone.
YCC — Youth Chamonix–Courmayeur
Distance: 10km + 5km | Entry: Open registration
A dedicated youth event that gives the next generation of trail runners their own moment of magic in the Alps. The YCC runs from Chamonix across to Courmayeur, with separate distances for different age groups. Running the YCC earns 1 Running Stone.
Running Stones Explained: Your Ticket to Chamonix
The Running Stones qualification system is the gateway to entering the three main lottery races, UTMB, CCC, and OCC. It replaced the old ITRA points system and is, on the surface, straightforward: Running Stones are lottery entries. The more you have, the better your chances of being selected. But there are important details to understand.
How you earn them: You collect Running Stones by completing races on the UTMB World Series circuit. The number of stones depends on the distance category of the race:
World Series Events: 20K = 1 stone, 50K = 2 stones, 100K = 3 stones, 100M = 4 stones
World Series Majors (the continental finals): double the above — so a 100M Major earns 8 stones
There are over 60 World Series events worldwide, including UK events like the Arc of Attrition and Ultra Trail Snowdonia. During Finals Week in Chamonix itself, completing the TDS earns 4 stones, the MCC earns 2 stones, the ETC and YCC each earn 1 stone.
Validity: Stones never expire from your account, but you must have earned at least one new stone within the past 24 months for your full balance to remain active in the lottery. Miss that 24-month window and your stones go "inactive", earning a new stone reactivates your complete balance.
Reset: When you successfully register for a Finals race via the lottery, your entire stone balance resets to zero. Plan your accumulation accordingly.
You also need a UTMB Index: In addition to stones, you need a valid UTMB Index in the appropriate distance category. For the UTMB 100M race, you need to have completed a 100M or 100K category race within the past 24 months. For the CCC, a 50K category race. For the OCC, a 20K category race. Your Index score is calculated from up to the last 36 months of results once you have at least one valid result in that category.
Elite direct access: The top 3 men and women at every World Series Event in 50K, 100K and 100M categories earn automatic entry to the following year's Finals in the corresponding race. At Majors, this extends to the top 10.
The lottery itself opens each January, with results published in late January. In 2026, pre-registration ran January 8-19, with draw results published on January 22.
HOKA: The Brand Behind the Race
Since 2022, HOKA has been inseparable from UTMB. The brand began as official footwear and apparel sponsor, then in April 2024 elevated to title sponsor, a five-year deal running through 2028 that saw the flagship event formally renamed the HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc.
The partnership is a natural one. HOKA was conceived in 2009 by a trio of product developers based in Annecy, France, just down the valley from Chamonix, who believed that maximally cushioned soles would be perfect for running fast on technical mountain trails. The brand's founders were embedded in the same mountain culture that the UTMB was built on. In that sense, Hoka coming home to Chamonix as title sponsor feels less like a commercial arrangement and more like a homecoming.
The elevation of the partnership wasn't without context. UTMB's previous title sponsorship arrangement with Romanian car manufacturer Dacia had drawn sharp criticism from within the trail running community, most notably from Kilian Jornet, who publicly questioned the wisdom of partnering with a company in the automotive sector. HOKA's arrival as title sponsor was welcomed across the sport.
Beyond the naming rights, the partnership has brought tangible benefits to athletes. HOKA's involvement allowed UTMB to more than double prize money at the flagship race, from approximately €10,400 to €21,500 for the winner, with equal payouts across men's and women's races. The prize increases extend throughout the World Series, helping support runners who often maintain jobs alongside their racing careers.
HOKA athletes have dominated the Chamonix podiums. Jim Walmsley's 2023 course record-breaking victory was achieved in HOKA shoes. Katie Schide, another HOKA athlete, won in 2022 and then shattered the women's course record in 2024. The brand's commitment to UTMB isn't just corporate positioning, it's written into the race's greatest modern performances.
Five Years of UTMB Champions (2021–2025)
2021
Men: François D'Haene (France) — 20:45:59 — His fourth UTMB title, making him one of only a handful of men to win the race four times.
Women: Courtney Dauwalter (USA) — 22:30:54 — A new women's course record, obliterating the previous mark set on a shorter course in 2013. A statement performance that announced Dauwalter as the dominant force in the sport.
2022
Men: Kilian Jornet (Spain) — 19:49:30 — A generational performance. The first man to break 20 hours at UTMB. Jornet's fourth victory at the race. The crowd noise in Chamonix when he crossed the line was extraordinary.
Women: Katie Schide (USA) — 23:15:22 — A dominant wire-to-wire victory for the American who had quietly positioned herself as one of the sport's best.
2023
Men: Jim Walmsley (USA) — 19:37:43 — The men's course record. The first American man to win UTMB. After years of near-misses, Walmsley finally cracked the code, lowering Jornet's record by over 11 minutes. An historic night for American trail running.
Women: Courtney Dauwalter (USA) — 23:29:14 — Her third UTMB title. Dauwalter led from 32 kilometres and never looked back, adding this crown to an extraordinary summer that also included wins at Western States and Hardrock 100.
2024
Men: Vincent Bouillard (France) — 19:54:34 — A surprise victory from the Frenchman who benefited from several favourites withdrawing at Courmayeur, but nonetheless ran an exceptional race to claim a memorable win.
Women: Katie Schide (USA) — 22:09:31 — The women's course record. Schide shattered Dauwalter's 2021 benchmark by over 21 minutes in a performance that cemented her status among the all-time greats. Remarkably, she had also won Western States just two months earlier, one of the most impressive doubles in the sport's history.
2025
Men: Tom Evans (Great Britain) — 19:18:56 — The first British man to win UTMB. After back-to-back DNFs in 2023 and 2024, Evans returned with a new approach, new sponsorship, and a composure that proved decisive on the night. He attacked on the Grand Col Ferret and pulled away relentlessly, crossing the line in one of the race's most emotional finishes, lifting his newborn daughter Phoebe in his arms.
Women: Ruth Croft (New Zealand) — 22:56:23 — Historic. Croft became the first woman to win all three UTMB World Series Finals, OCC (2018/19), CCC (2015), and now UTMB, a feat previously only achieved by Xavier Thévenard. She overcame treacherous overnight conditions including sleet and snow, surging past a fading Courtney Dauwalter in the race's second half to win by nearly 30 minutes.
My Relationship with Chamonix and the Tour du Mont Blanc
I need to be clear about something: I haven't run UTMB. I haven't gone through the stones system, entered the lottery, or lined up on the Chamonix start line with 2,500 other runners at 5pm on a Friday in August. But I have run the very same route, the very same mountains, in the very same direction, twice.
The Tour du Mont Blanc is the 170km circular trail that circumnavigates the entire Mont Blanc massif, passing through France, Italy, and Switzerland. It is the same route the UTMB race follows. Hikers typically take 7-10 days to complete it. I have run it, twice, as a self-organised ultra, carrying the names of people affected by cancer, raising awareness of testicular cancer and the work of ChemoHero and others who support cancer patients through treatment.
Both times, I've deliberately timed my TMB runs to coincide with the build-up to UTMB race week. Running the trail in the days before the race puts you on the same mountain paths that will soon carry thousands of elite and amateur runners. You understand the terrain in a way no race briefing can teach you. You feel the altitude at the Col du Bonhomme. You descend into Courmayeur with aching quads. You climb out of Champex-Lac in the dark, counting footsteps. You arrive back in Chamonix carrying the mountain on your legs and something bigger in your chest.
Both completions have been deeply personal. I was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2021, running these mountains has been part of how I came back stronger, more purposeful, more determined to use running to help others. The TMB is not just a route to me. It's a reminder of what the body can do when the mind has the right reason.
This year, I'll be back. And this time I'm staying through the full race week, embedded in Chamonix, bringing you behind-the-scenes coverage of everything UTMB week delivers, the atmosphere, the village, the elite racing, the amateur runners crawling toward their finish lines at 3am, and all the emotion that makes this the most special week in our sport's calendar.
Follow along at runningwestwardho.co.uk and on Instagram @runningwestwardho
What to Expect at UTMB Week: Beyond the Racing
If you've never been to Chamonix during UTMB week, put it on your list. Even as a spectator, it is a genuinely life-changing experience for anyone who loves endurance running.
The village atmosphere is unlike anything in road running. The Place du Triangle de l'Amitié, where the start and finish gantry stands, becomes the beating heart of the trail running world. Brand activations, athlete meet-and-greets, kit demos, and a genuine sense of community fill the town from Sunday through to Saturday. HOKA operates a significant presence, with athletes, product launches, and engagement across the week.
The crowds are extraordinary. Thousands of spectators line the route, not just in Chamonix itself, but in every village the runners pass through. At 3am on the mountainside above Les Contamines, there will be people cheering. In Courmayeur, the main square erupts at the arrival of every runner. It is, frankly, emotional.
Spectating tips: The key spots to watch the UTMB race are the start in Chamonix (Friday evening, around 5-6pm), Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (approximately 90 minutes in), Courmayeur (the halfway point, roughly 8-10 hours in for the leaders), Champex-Lac in Switzerland (around 16-18 hours for the front runners), and then the finish in Chamonix from Saturday afternoon onward.
Planning Your UTMB Journey: Key Information
When: Late August / early September. UTMB week 2026 will take place at the end of August.
Where: Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Haute-Savoie, France. Accessible by train from Geneva Airport (approximately 1.5 hours) or by road.
Accommodation: Book well in advance. Chamonix and the surrounding valley fill up fast for race week. Options range from camping and gîtes to hotels and chalets across Les Houches, Chamonix, Argentière and beyond. Booking.com is a good place to search for available accomodation in Chamonix.
If you're chasing a lottery place: Start earning Running Stones now. Check the UTMB World Series website (utmb.world) for the full list of qualifying events worldwide. UK options include the Arc of Attrition and Ultra Trail Snowdonia. Remember you also need a valid UTMB Index in the appropriate distance category.
Even if you never race it — go and watch. Go and run the TMB before race week. Stand on a mountain pass in the dark and cheer for runners you've never met. Trust me on this.
The Bottom Line
UTMB week in Chamonix is unlike anything else in endurance sport. It combines the world's most competitive ultra trail racing with a festival atmosphere, jaw-dropping mountain scenery, and a community of runners who understand that getting to a start line, any start line, is already a victory of sorts.
For me, Chamonix has become something deeply personal. The Tour du Mont Blanc route is where I've pushed myself hardest, carried the heaviest meaning, and felt most alive as a runner. This August, I'll be back in those mountains, back on those trails that I know by feel now, and I'll be with you every step of the way.
Watch this space.
Andy Hood is an ultra runner, cancer survivor, founder of Check Ya Balls and Runna Ambassador. He has raised nearly £30,000 for cancer charities through his running. Follow his 2026 Chamonix and UTMB week coverage at runningwestwardho.co.uk and on Instagram @runningwestwardho.
Images: I'd like to express my sincere thanks to good friend Loyd Purvis from YouTube channel Run4Adventure for some of the images used in this article.
Comments