Mountain trail running carries risks inherent to the terrain and altitude. Here is what you need to know about accidents on the UTMB® and during its preparation, and how to reduce the risks.
Accidents during the race
Throughout its history, the UTMB® has seen very few serious accidents relative to the number of runners entering each year. However, it would be dishonest not to acknowledge the facts: the event has been marked by tragedy on several occasions in recent years. In 2021, a 35-year-old Czech runner suffered a fatal fall at night on the TDS® — the first such tragedy in 18 years of the event's existence. In 2022, a Brazilian runner died following a fall on the PTL. In 2023, a Swiss runner died of a cardiac arrest on the UTMB®. These events remain rare given the number of participants, but they serve as a reminder that ultra-trail in high mountains carries a real risk, even within an organisational framework as safety-conscious as this one.
In response, the organisation has put in place a significant rescue infrastructure: first-aid posts distributed along the course, medical personnel on continuous standby, mandatory safety kit required of every runner, and cut-off times that limit the time spent in the mountains at night or in a state of advanced fatigue.
Training accidents
In reality, it is during the UTMB® preparation phases — outside any organised framework — that most accidents occur. Some runners take on challenging routes without appropriate kit or sufficient preparation, sometimes driven by the desire to replicate the feats of the elites they follow. Without assistance or enhanced safety measures, a fall or sudden deterioration in the middle of the mountains can have far more serious consequences than during a race, where rescue teams and course markings are ever-present.
How to reduce the risks?
Solid preparation remains the best protection: train according to the difficulty of the terrain, never head out without the minimum safety kit (headtorch, survival blanket, charged phone), and know your own limits rather than measuring yourself against others. Find the full list of kit to carry in our article on the mandatory kit for the UTMB®.
