What a long way we have come since the UTMB^®’s first edition! You were 700 to join the adventure in 2003, 2000 two years later, 4000 in 2016... In 2014, the applications to enter the races were more than 10,000... At first, the race sold out in one day, then in 10 hours in the following years, and in 9 minutes in 2008. This record had made it necessary to regulate registration requests by establishing lottery and a qualifying points system. In the meantime, we have created the CCC^® (2006), the PTL^® (2008), the TDS^® (2009), the OCC (2014) and the MCC (2018).Today the event has 7 races, each with its own purpose and features. Each year, these events bring you together and thrill you. Each year, we share this beautiful and great adventure with you.

This enthusiasm for the UTMB^® Mont-Blanc is the result of more than 15 years of work to offer you, at each new edition, an ever more magical and high-quality experience. Over the past three years, the success of the UTMB^® Mont-Blanc event has shown no sign of decreasing. Applications have increased by 68% in 3 years (despite more stringent entry regulations).  In 2016, 15,000 of you applied to enter one of the UTMB^® races. This year, the organization received more than 26,000 applications for only 10,000 spots available (on all races). Today, we have reached the limits of this entry process. In order for all runners to be able to participate one day in the race of their dreams, the organization had to innovate and develop a new entry process to the UTMB^® Mont-Blanc.

How does the current system works ?

Today, access to the UTMB^® races is divided in two stages:

1. Runners must complete a certain number of qualifying races in the allotted time during the qualifying period in order to enter the UTMB^® Mont-Blanc lottery. The qualifying points system was first introduced in 2009 and has been continually evolving since then.
   
   

   UTMB^®
   
   15 points
   acquired in 2 years
   (in 3 races max)

    

   TDS^®
   
   8 points
   acquired in 2 years
   (in 2 races max)
   

    

    

   CCC^®
   
   8 points
   acquired in 2 years
   (in 2 races max)
   

    

   OCC
   
   6 points
   acquired in 2 years
   (in 2 races max)
   

    

    

   PTL^®
   
   0 points
   
   selection based on experience
   

    

   MCC
   
   0 points
   for volunteers, local inhabitants and partners
   

2. Once they have gained their qualifying points, runners can pre-register for the race of their choice. If they are not lucky, runners gain an advantage for the following year’s lottery for the same race (a coefficient which doubles the odds in the following year’s lottery, then a direct entry if the runner fails to gain entry in the lottery for the same race for 2 years in a row.

Why has the current system reached its limits

In the last few years, the UTMB^® Mont-Blanc has become more successful than ever: applications have increased by 68% in just 3 years (despite more stringent entry regulations)! In 2016, 15,000 runners entered the lottery; in 2019 the organization received more than 26,000 applications for only 10,000 places (on all races) available. An undeniable success that is the result of 17 years of expertise, sharing and innovations. In order for all runners to be able to enter the race of their dreams one day, the organization had to innovate and renew the entry process.

« The current registration system has reached its limits. To continue to meet the expectations of these thousands of trail runners, it was necessary to improve our entry process. We have implemented a more flexible, more open system, in line with the internationalization of trail running. It is also very important for us to respect runners’ health ». Michel Poletti, co-director of the UTMB^®

2020: a year of transition towards the new entry process

The new entry process will be implemented gradually so that the organization can honor its commitments towards runners already benefiting from an advantage in the lottery (coefficient 2, direct entry).

The novelty for the 2020 UTMB^® Mont-Blanc lies in the implementation of a new lowered scale of qualifying points and the implementation of a more flexible lottery:

2020 UTMB^® Mont-Blanc qualifying points scale

« With this significantly lowered scale, runners will be able to gain their qualifying points in a more relaxed way. One ultra-marathon per year will be enough to get your points for the UTMB^® Mont-Blanc. In the light of the studies conducted on the UTMB^® Mont-Blanc, this is a logical development which is meant to better respect runners’ health » Nicolas Lagrange, UTMB^® Director of Operations

Implementation of a lottery with tickets for first-time applicants

From 2020, the lottery will become more flexible. Further detail will be provided to runner. Runners who are not lucky on their first attempt through the lottery will have better chances of being selected in following years. The probability of being selected is therefore proportional to the number of times a runner has failed to gain entry in the previous years. Runners can also decide to apply for a different race each year (ex: apply for the UTMB^® the first year, then for the TDS the following year) or to take a/or more than one, year break from their running.

More information in our FAQ

2021: an innovative, open and more flexible entry process

In addition to the lottery, which will continue to exist, and in order to allow for as many runners as possible to one day be eligible to enter the UTMB^® Mont-Blanc, the organization will introduce a parallel system offering faster access to its races, starting from January 2020.

This latter system will be based on the concept of the “Running Stones", which will only be awarded to the Finishers of a limited number of races, carefully selected by the UTMB^®. Running Stones will be recorded on a database, which runners can refer to check their up to date stock. Once they have gained the requested number of running stones, runners will get a direct entry for the UTMB^® Mont-Blanc race of their choice without having to go through the lottery.

If the runner doesn’t have enough Running Stones, he/she will be able to trade them for additional tickets in the lottery thus improving the probability of being selected.

From January 2020 and not before, it will be possible to collect Running Stones by participating in some of the most incredible races around the world: the existing "by UTMB^®" events (Gaoligong, Ushuaia, Oman, etc.) as well as, and this is a first - the 2020 Ultra-Trail^® World Tour events. UTMB^® and Ultra-Trail^® World Tour formalize therefore a major strategic partnership, recently signed, whose objectives are to better define ultra-trail running in the trail running world and to develop new sporting and marketing synergies. The 2020 international circuit resulting from the partnership between the UTMB^® and the Ultra-Trail^® World Tour will be presented to the press at the 2019 UTMB^® Mont-Blanc event. It will be a significant evolution of the current circuit.

How many Running Stones do you need to access the UTMB^® races without having to go through the lottery?

How to gain the Running Stones and how are they awarded?

Finishers of the ByUTMB^® races :
1 ITRA point = 3 Running Stones
Finishers of the UTWT races :
1 ITRA point = 1 Running Stone
(The number of running stones is likely to change from year to year depending on the number of applications)

For instance, finishing 160km (MGU) Gaoligong byUTMB^® = 18 Running Stones, that is 6 ITRA points. If runners have their qualifying points, they will be able to enter the UTMB^® Mont-Blanc races without having to go through the lottery. Running Stones expire after 4 years. Running Stones gained in 2020 can be traded for entry to a 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 UTMB^® Mont-Blanc race of their choice. If they are not used during those 4 years, they will expire unless they are exchanged for additional tickets. The Running Stones can be used to enter the UTMB^®, the TDS^®, the CCC^® and the OCC. Special registration conditions apply for the MCC, the PTL^® and the YCC.