We take care of you
The good health of runners is a priority for us. The UTMB® makes every effort to assure the security and medical follow-up of all the runners. Besides, we lead numerous informative and preventative actions regarding the health of runners.
Since the first event in 2003, the UTMB® has looked to maintain the authenticity and fair-play of the sport. The organisation thus set up a health policy associating prevention, information and actions of control, aiming to ensure that the races take place fairly. We encourage the athletes to show the greatest transparency, in an exemplary fashion.
The UTMB® is also tremendous research laboratory for ultra-endurance sports. The scale of the races, as well as the number of participants allow our scientific partners to realise research in optimal conditions, and therefore to better understand the health risks linked to the intense practise of trail-running. This scientific research has led to the publication of numerous papers in the domains of sport, science and health.
Medical commission & health policy
Medical commission
The good health of runners is our concern.
Since 2007, a medical commission, open to different members of the medical and paramedical corps, contributes, after each event, a summary of the medical activity during the races. It advises the UTMB® management on the measures which should be taken.
Equally, it validates research subjects, certain of which have become the subject of official publications. Among the numerous studies made: the trail-running population and the cardio-vascular risks, pathologies presented during the race, the causes of abandonments, self-medication, fatigue from great endurance and recuperation problems, digestive problems, the effects of kinésio-taping...
All these studies have helped to give more precise and pertinent advice and also helps runners in their practice of trail-running. All this advice is published on our web-site.
Health actions and medical advice
To maintain the spirit and authenticity of our event, we have, since 2008, led preventative actions concerning health matters which reassures both us, and you, that our races are run fairly.
A modest contribution, engaging the runners and for the runners, with vigilance, so that our sport remains clean. Led in collaboration with Athletes for Transparency and the ITRA, this action has neither the vocation, nor competence to be a substitute for the national and international regulations concern the anti-doping fight but aims to reinforce the medical surveillance that the Organisation wishes for.
By registering for one of the UTMB® events, the runner agrees to:
1) Disclose any information relative to the use of a prescription which is subject to a Therapeutic Usage Exemption (TUE) on their ITRA runner's page;
2) Accept to give all samples requested by the Organisation's Medical Counsel (costs covered by the organisation). Analysis results are then accessible via their ITRA runner's health page;
3) Accept to answer any summons from the Medical Counsel which may be sent to them based on the medical information concerning them so as to discuss their capacity or not to participate in the race.
Commission for adjournment
In the case of osteo-articular or non-chronic muscular injuries, sustained after registration and not completely curable before the day of the race, the organisation recommends that an injured runner does not, unnecessarily, put themselves in danger, but cancels their registration and requests an adjournment for their race to a later date. This request must be made by, at the latest, September 10th and be accompanied by a full medical report. The requests are treated, at the latest, by November 1st by a Medical Committee who are the only judges and their decision is final. In the case of a favourable result, the runner benefits from a priority registration for a future edition of the same race.