The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) is a single-stage mountain ultramarathon trail race on a course of about 170 km around Mont Blanc, first held in 2003.
The race follows the route of the Tour du Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland, beginning and ending in Chamonix, France.
The race is approximately 170-km long, with about 10,000 m of elevation gain. It is the longest and flagship race of UTMB Mont-Blanc, the annual event week held around Mont Blanc at the end of August. Within the UTMB World Series Finals, the race serves as the 100-mile category Final.
The race has been described by running media as one of the most competitive and prestigious trail ultramarathons in the world.
Catherine and Michel Poletti founded the race in 2003.
Route
The route follows the Tour du Mont Blanc hiking path that is usually completed in 7 to 9 days by hikers. This is a loop around Mont Blanc.
It starts from Chamonix (1,035 m) and goes up to the Col de Voza (1,653 m) to reach Les Contamines (1,150 m), which is the first major aid base. It then climbs to the Croix du Bonhomme (2,479 m) before going back down to Les Chapieux (1,549 m). The path then runs up to the Col de la Seigne (2,516 m) to enter Italy, and follows the ridge of the Mont-Favre (2,435 m) before going down to Courmayeur (1,190 m), the second aid base. It climbs again to the Refuge Bertone (1,989 m) and Arnuva (1,769 m) before reaching its highest point, the Grand Col Ferret (2,537 m), which also marks the border with Switzerland. The path goes down again to Praz de Fort (1,151 m) via La Fouly (1,593 m) before reaching the third aid base, Champex d'en Bas (1,391 m). The last part includes two rather low cols: Bovine (1,987 m) and Les Tseppes (1,932 m), separated by Trient (1,300 m). On the descent to Vallorcine (1,260 m), the path re-enters France and crosses Argentière (1,260 m) before finishing at Chamonix, its starting point.
The route varies slightly every year, sometimes for safety reasons.
In 2010, the route was 166 km long with a total elevation gain of 9500 m.
Logistics
Runners must carry a set of "mandatory equipment" for safety reasons. This includes a waterproof jacket, warm clothing, food and water, whistle, smartphone, survival blanket and two head lamps. There are food and drink points along the route, every 10 to 15 km. In addition, four big "major aid stations" provide hot meals, beds and massages: Chamonix (France), Les Chapieux (France), Courmayeur (Italy) and Champex (Switzerland). Pacers are not permitted in UTMB events. At Courmayeur for UTMB and at Cormet de Roselend for TDS, runners can collect a drop bag they previously left at Chamonix or at Courmayeur. Runners' race numbers contain a magnetic badge that is read at approximately 50 check points. Timings and rankings are available online and by text message in real-time. It is conducted under the regulations of the International Trail Running Association (ITRA), the governing body for trail races in the Mont Blanc and Alpine region. The race relies largely on volunteers to operate the course and staff aid stations. 15,000 volunteers were involved in 2015.
Participation and results
The race's popularity and its entry rate grew significantly since it was first held. The number of entrants doubled from 700 in 2003 to 1,400 in 2004. In 2005, the limit of 5,000 runners was reached 7 months after registration opened. In 2006, the organisers decided to create the CCC to allow more runners to take part. The registrations were sold out in only 2 weeks. In 2007, it was decided that runners must qualify, by running qualifying races beforehand and gaining points. That year the limit of 5,000 runners was reached less than 24 hours after registration opened. For the 2008 event, 6,000 runners registered in only 8 minutes, 5 months before the race. For the 2009 event, the qualifying criteria were tightened to limit the number of qualifying runners, and a draw was introduced to make entry fairer, giving an equal chance to all qualifiers, and making registration more orderly. Despite the stricter criteria, 10% of qualifying entrants were still denied a place, so the organisers raised entry standards still further for the 2010 event so that selection would be based more on capability and experience than luck of the draw.
The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all registrants automatically receiving a 55% refund and given the option of reserving a spot for 2021, 2022, or 2023.
Ultra-Trail du Tour du Mont-Blanc Year Distance Runners Finishers Winner Male Time Winner Female Time Notes 2003 153 km 722 67 Dachhiri Dawa Sherpa 20:05:59 Kristin Moehl 29:38:24 2003 full results 2004 155 km 1383 420 Vincent Delebarre 21:06:18 Colette Borcard 26:08:54 2004 full results 2005 155 km 2000 773 Christophe Jaquerod 21:11:07 Elizabeth Hawker 26:53:51 2005 full results 2006 158 km 2535 1152 Marco Olmo 21:06:06 Karine Herry 25:22:20 2006 full results 2007 163 km 2319 1437 Marco Olmo 21:31:58 Nikki Kimball 25:23:45 2007 full results 2008 166 km 2500 1268 Kilian Jornet 20:56:59 Elizabeth Hawker 25:19:41 2008 full results 2009 166 km 2500 1383 Kilian Jornet 21:33:18 Kristin Moehl 24:56:01 2009 full results 2010 88 km 2400 1127 Jez Bragg 10:30:37 Elizabeth Hawker 11:47:30 2010 full results 2011 170 km 2361 1133 Kilian Jornet 20:36:43 Elizabeth Hawker 25:02:00 2011 full results 2012 103 km 2483 2122 François D'Haene 10:32:36 Elizabeth Hawker 12:32:13 2012 full results 2013 168 km 2469 1686 Xavier Thevenard 20:34:57 Rory Bosio 22:37:26 2013 full results 2014 167 km 2434 1582 François D'Haene 20:11:44 Rory Bosio 23:23:20 2014 full results 2015 170 km 2561 1631 Xavier Thevenard 21:09:15 Nathalie Mauclair 25:15:33 2015 full results 2016 170 km 2555 1468 Ludovic Pommeret 22:00:02 Caroline Chaverot 25:15:40 2016 full results 2017 167 km 2537 1687 François D'Haene 19:01:54 Núria Picas 25:46:43 2017 full results 2018 170 km 2561 1778 Xavier Thevenard 20:44:16 Francesca Canepa 26:03:48 2018 full results2019170 km 2543 1556 Pau Capell 20:19:07 Courtney Dauwalter 24:34:26 2019 full results 2020 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic2021170 km 2346 1521 François D'Haene 20:45:59 Courtney Dauwalter 22:30:54 2021 full results 2022170 km 2795 1789 Kilian Jornet 19:49:30 Katie Schide 23:15:12 2022 full results 2023172 km 2693 1757 Jim Walmsley 19:37:43 Courtney Dauwalter 23:29:14 2023 full results2024176.4 km27611760Vincent Bouillard 19:54:23Katie Schide 22:09:312024 full results2025175.3 km24921665Tom Evans 19:18:58Ruth Croft 22:56:232025 full results2026173.6 km2407Ben Dhiman 18:16:29 Blandine L'Hirondel 21:54:492026 full results
Ultra-Trail Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix Year Distance Runners Finishers Winner Male Time Winner Female Time Notes 2006 86 km 1054 854 Alun Powell 10:53:17 Corinne Favre 10:35:55 2006 full results 2007 86 km 1609 1332 Julien Chorier 10:19:46 Andréa Zimmermann 12:28:05 2007 full results 2008 98 km 2032 1318 Guillaume Le Normand 12:26:04 Lucy Colquhoun 14:33:37 2008 full results 2009 98 km 1865 1266 Jean-Yves Rey 11:40:47 Chantal Begue 16:51:00 2009 full results 2010 98 km 2004 1677 Xavier Thevenard 11:57:13 Maud Giraud 14:07:38 2010 full results 2011 98 km 1907 1591 Emmanuel Gault 10:10:25 Virginie Govignon 12:47:11 2011 full results 2012 86 km 1913 1585 Tofol Castañer Bernat 08:57:04 Ellie Greenwood 11:17:24 2012 full results 2013 101 km 1910 1320 Jordi Bes 11:23:01 Caroline Chaverot 14:12:00 2013 full results 2014 101 km 1945 1423 Pau Bartolo 11:21:16 Anne Lise Rousett 14:28:48 2014 full results 2015 101 km 2127 1470 Zach Miller 11:53:32 Ruth Croft 12:54:53 2015 full results 2016 101 km 2123 1386 Michel Lanne 12:10:04 Mimmi Kotka 13:42:46 2016 full results 201799 km21551742Hayden Hawks 10:24:30Clare Gallagher 12:13:572017 full results 2018101 km21471622Thomas Evans 10:44:32Miao Yao 11:57:462018 full results2019101 km21321578Luis Alberto Hernando 10:28:49Ragna Debats 12:10:332019 full results 2020 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic2021101 km20091578Thibaut Garrivier 10:23:26Marta Molist Codina 12:50:482021 full results2022101 km17271341Petter Engdahl 09:53:02Blandine L'Hirondel 11:40:552022 full results 2023101 km22281650Jonathan Albon 10:14:25Yngvild Kaspersen 11:51:222023 full results2024101 km22691636Hayden Hawks 10:20:11Toni McCann 11:57:592024 full results 2025 101 km 2127 1641 Francesco Puppi 10:06:02 Martyna Młynarczyk 11:41:55 2025 full results 2026 107 km 1974 1516 Christian Minoggio 10:21:48 Yngvild Kaspersen 12:01:14 2026 Full Results
Ultra-Trail Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie Year Distance Runners Finishers Winner Male Time Winner Female Time Notes 2009 105 km 632 480 Patrick Bohard 14:01:48 Fernanda Maciel 17:17:43 2009 full results 2010 105 km cancelled 2011 110 km 1180 781 Franck Bussiere 15:51:37 Jolanda Linschooten 20:57:32 2011 full results 2012 114 km 1464 633 Dachhiri Dawa Sherpa 14:37:07 Agnès Herve 19:07:00 2012 full results 2013 119 km 1528 1022 Arnau Julià Bonmatí 15:09:59 Nathalie Mauclair 17:36:41 2013 full results 2014 119 km 1588 1076 Xavier Thevenard 14:10:37 Teresa Nimes Perez 18:41:12 2014 full results 2015 119 km 1807 1214 Pau Bartolo 14:26:40 Andrea Huser 16:35:29 2015 full results 2016 119 km 1794 1060 Pau Capell 14:45:44 Delphine Avenier 18:46:24 2016 full results 2017 119 km 1818 1251 Michel Lanne 14:33:09 Mimmi Kotka 15:47:07 2017 full results 2018121 km 1799 1329 Marcin Świerc 13:24:00 Audrey Tanguy 16:05:22 2018 full results 2019145 km 1785 1091 Pablo Villa Gonzalez 18:03:06 Audrey Tanguy 21:36:15 2019 full results 2020 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic2021145 km433212Erik-Sebastian Krogvig 18:49:58Manon Bohard 23:11:142021 full results2022145 km17741072Ludovic Pommeret 18:37:04Martina Valmassoi 22:42:472022 full results 2023145 km1649998Christian Meier 19:36:35Maryline Nakache 23:37:572023 full results 2024145 km18741111Thibault Marquet 18:59:36Marie Dohin 24:06:012024 full results2025145 km19351207Antoine Charvolin 18:22:17Careth Arnold 22:58:522025 full results2026154 km1290715Remy Brassac 19:28:43Sarah Vieuille 22:08:162026 full results
Orsières-Champex-Chamonix YearDistanceRunnersFinishersWinner MaleTimeWinner FemaleTimeNotes201453 km12001109Nicolas Martin 5:07:45Sonia Glarey 6:37:402014 full results 201553 km14421317Marc Pinsach Rubirola 5:21:38Celia Chiron 6:41:532015 full results 201655 km14131232Xavier Thevenard 5:28:37Mercedes Arcos Zafras 6:54:132016 full results 201755 km15651468Marc Lauenstein 5:19:34Eli Gordon Rodriguez 6:12:162017 full results201855 km15721478Erenjia Jia 5:28:44Ruth Croft 5:53:092018 full results201955 km16051474Stian Angermund-Vik 5:19:24Ruth Croft 5:50:142019 full results 2020 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic202155 km14641359Jonathan Albon 5:02:57Blandine L'Hirondel 5:45:082021 full results202255 km15111190Manuel Merillas 5:18:29Sheila Avilés Castaño 6:10:162022 full results202355 km17291643Stian Angermund 4:42:40Toni McCann 5:18:212023 full results202457 km17641534Eli Hemming 5:11:48Miao Yao 5:54:032024 full results202561 km15681418Jim Walmsley 5:00:35Miao Yao 5:35:132025 full results202660 km1945 1563Frédéric Tranchand 5:10:08Lauren Gregory 6:08:072026 full results
Results by nation Updated after the 2025 editions.
UTMB
+UTMB Men # Nation 1st 2nd 3rd Total 10 6 6 22 5 5 4 14 2 0 2 4 4 2 0 1 3 5 1 4 5 10 6 1 2 0 3 7 1 0 1 2 8 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 13 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1
+UTMB Women # Nation 1st 2nd 3rd Total 10 0 2 12 5 1 0 6 3 4 10 17 4 1 7 5 13 5 1 2 1 4 6 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 2 8 0 2 1 3 9 0 1 1 2 0 1 1 2 0 1 1 2 12 0 1 0 1
CCC
+CCC Men # Nation 1st 2nd 3rd Total 6 8 6 20 4 0 2 6 3 2 3 8 4 3 1 1 5 5 1 0 4 5 6 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 8 0 1 2 4 9 0 2 0 2 10 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 15 0 0 1 1