The UTMB® was not born from a marketing strategy, but from a simple idea: to circumnavigate the Mont White massif on foot, in a single stage, through France, Italy and Switzerland. More than twenty years later, that idea has become the world's most prestigious trail race and the name of an international circuit. Here is how it all began.
2003: the birth of the UTMB®
The UTMB® was founded by Catherine and Michel Poletti, a Chamonix couple passionate about running. With other volunteers, they revived an old relay race around Mont White, which had disappeared in 1999, transforming it into an individual event: a full circuit of the massif, completed with partial self-sufficiency in under 46 hours.
The first edition took place on 30 August 2003 in Chamonix. The organisers had hoped for around 300 starters. 722 lined up at the start. Weather conditions for this first edition were extreme, and only 67 runners, less than 10% of the starters, completed the full circuit of the massif within the time limit. The tone was set: the dropout rate would remain one of the event’s hallmarks.
A race that became a family of races
In response to the event's success, the organisers gradually added other formats around the historic route, allowing more runners to experience the Mont White massif whatever their level: the CCC® (Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix, around 100 km), the TDS® (Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie, through the Beaufortain), the OCC (Orsières-Champex-Chamonix, short format), the PTL (Petite Trotte à Léon, a team challenge of around 300 km outside the rankings) and the MCC (Martigny-Combe to Chamonix). Today, this race week brings together around 10,000 runners from all over the world in the Mont White massif alone.
From local race to global circuit
In May 2021, the UTMB Group partnered with the IRONMAN Group to launch the UTMB World Series, an international circuit of qualifying events held across several continents. Taking part in one of these events earns Running Stones, which give access to the draw for the Chamonix race week, now the circuit's world final. This change in scale transformed the UTMB®: from a local race, it became a global qualification system, while retaining Mont White as its flagship event.
This shift was not unanimously welcomed in the trail community, where some runners and organisers criticised the concentration of the international calendar in the hands of a single player. Nevertheless, the model established itself within a few seasons.
What the history of the UTMB® has built
Two decades after its first edition, the UTMB® has built a legend of records regularly pushed further, a roll of honour featuring the biggest names in global trail running, and safety standards strengthened over the editions marked by difficult conditions. It is also the story of a technical and demanding route that has never compromised on its original DNA: self-sufficiency and respect for the mountains.
Frequently asked questions
Who created the UTMB®?
The UTMB® was created in 2003 by Catherine and Michel Poletti, a couple from Chamonix, with the help of other volunteers passionate about running.
What year was the first UTMB® held?
The first edition took place on 30 August 2003. Of the 722 starters, only 67 runners completed the full course within the allotted time.
Why was the 2020 edition cancelled?
The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 health crisis. It is the only cancellation in the event’s history.
