Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB)
Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) takes place Aug 24 - 30, 2026 in Chamonix, France. The dress code is Mandatory trail-running safety kit for competitors, including waterproof shell and headlamp; spectators need outdoor casual plus a warm layer, because you will be waiting late into the night. Typical cost ranges from 700 to 2400 EUR per person.
The most prestigious event in trail running, built around a roughly 170 km loop of Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland with over 10,000 m of climbing. Eight races share the week, including CCC, OCC, TDS and MCC, so Chamonix spends seven days as a runner's town with cowbells at every corner. The Friday-evening start under Vangelis is one of the few sporting moments that reduces grown adults to tears.
- When
- Aug 24 - 30, 2026
- Where
- Chamonix, France
- Dress code
- Mandatory trail-running safety kit for competitors, including waterproof shell and headlamp; spectators need outdoor casual plus a warm layer, because you will be waiting late into the night.
- Cost
- Typical cost ranges from 700 to 2400 EUR per person.
- Weather
- 8 - 22C in the Chamonix valley, but cold, wet and occasionally snowy on the high passes overnight
- When to book
- Racers need Running Stones from qualifying events plus the winter lottery; Chamonix lodging for race week should be booked 9 - 12 months out
- Getting there
- GVA (Geneva), about 1 hr 15 min to Chamonix by shared shuttle
- Where to stay
- Le Hameau Albert 1er, Chamonix, Hotel Mont-Blanc Chamonix, La Folie Douce Hotels Chamonix
- Official site
- https://montblanc.utmb.world
How to attend
To race, earn Running Stones at qualifying events and then enter the lottery at montblanc.utmb.world, with registration in the winter beforehand; entries for 2026 have already closed. To simply attend, come to Chamonix during race week - the start, finish and town-centre expo village are entirely free and open to the public, no ticket exists. Book Chamonix or Argentiere lodging months ahead, or stay in Les Houches and commute in.
There is no spectator ticket of any kind - the start, the finish and the Chamonix race-week village are free to walk into, and racing requires Running Stones plus a lottery entry the winter before.
Insider tip
Take the first Montenvers or Bellevue lift out of town for a mid-race viewpoint most spectators never reach, and be on Place du Triangle de l'Amitie a full hour before the Friday-evening start if you want to see it properly.
Get inside Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB)
Booking matters here: racers need Running Stones from qualifying events plus the winter lottery; Chamonix lodging for race week should be booked 9 - 12 months out. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.
Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.