It's important to have a solid understanding of the rules around aid stations and crew support at the UTMB®. On the latter point, many first-timers at these distances wonder whether having a crew is necessary or not. Here are the rules you need to know and how to organise your runner's support practically.
What does the race rules permit?
Personal crew support is permitted only at certain points and must be carried out by a single person. It may take place at certain aid stations, in the zone specifically designated for this purpose, on presentation of the crew access ticket and at the discretion of the checkpoint manager. This means your support crew member must have been pre-registered with the race organisation.
This support may only be provided by one person at a time, with no specific equipment other than a bag with a maximum volume of 30 litres for carrying food and clothing. Support provided by a professional team, or any medical or paramedical professional (even a family member) is strictly prohibited. Personal crew support is permitted at the following checkpoints:
- UTMB®: Les Contamines, Courmayeur, Champex-Lac, Trient, Vallorcine
- CCC®: Champex-Lac, Trient, Vallorcine
- TDS®: Bourg St Maurice, Beaufort, Les Contamines
It is prohibited at all other aid stations as well as at any point on the course outside these zones. On the OCC® and MCC®, no crew support is permitted at any point on the course.
Aid station zone, accompaniment zone, crew zone: what's the difference?
The organisation distinguishes 3 types of zones. The aid station zone is reserved for the runner only (water, food, medical assistance): no external crew support is permitted there. The accompaniment zone extends for 1 km, 500 m before and after each checkpoint: you can cheer your runner on, walk or run alongside them, but without providing any equipment. The crew zone itself sits at the heart of this area: it is the only place where kit exchange is permitted, and access is strictly limited to one person per ticket.
How do you obtain crew access tickets?
When collecting their race bib, the runner receives one crew access ticket per authorised checkpoint (i.e. 5 tickets for the UTMB®, one for each point listed above). Each ticket corresponds to one person and one checkpoint: you can therefore designate a single crew member for the entire race, or distribute the tickets among several supporters according to the checkpoints.
How do you travel between crew zones?
Car access to crew zones is prohibited (except for families with children under 3 or people with reduced mobility), and nearby parking is very limited. The solution recommended by the organisation is the UTMB Mobility shuttle service: to support a runner across the full UTMB® course, you need to combine the 3 passes covering the countries crossed (FRA, ITA, SUI), at an official 2026 price of around £93 for an adult before discounts (a 10% reduction applies when purchasing 3 different passes, bringing the cost down to around £84). Make sure to book these passes well in advance, as sales are time-limited and places are restricted. Since 2025, access to the Trient crew zone additionally requires, for the UTMB® and CCC®, presentation of the UTMB Mobility Switzerland pass.
To estimate your runner's arrival time and avoid getting there too early or too late, the official LiveTrail app lets you track their position in real time. Plan to arrive 30 minutes to 1 hour before the estimated time, bearing in mind that access to the crew zone itself is generally only open 10 minutes before. Base Camps are available to supporters holding a UTMB Mobility pass, providing a place to rest between crew points.
Is crew support necessary?
There is never a definitive answer to this kind of question, and it can come down to personal preference. But it's clear that having crew support is a real advantage. It gives the runner the opportunity to stow certain items in the crew bag (spare clothing, food, drinks...) and avoid carrying too much on their person. It also provides a genuine morale boost, and sometimes that can make all the difference. But if you choose to have crew support, your crew needs to be prepared: it's impossible to improvise this kind of role, and you'll need to define their responsibilities precisely and work out the permitted checkpoints as well as the best way to travel between them.
