Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® - UTMB® Information

U-T-M-B. Four letters which have become inseparable and three elements: Ultra, Trail-running and Mont-Blanc which together have but one meaning. Returning to these three elements explains what we are and where we wish to go. Ultra. Not specific to trail-running only, it exists in other sports. Ultra-defines what we can realise both physically and mentally. Ultra is a competition with oneself. Very few people run the UTMB® to win. It is rather about pushing one’s own limits. It is the choice of challenging the extreme , our self-confidence and the ability to deal with difficulty, while facing the unknown and the joy brought by crossing the finish line altogether. We would like to share our emotions with as many people as possible. UTMB® is a great outdoor event, bringing together runners, volunteers, service providers, partners, spectators and accompanying members around the same passion. The interaction and diversity of all UTMB actors have contributed to making this event incredibly unique. Trail-running. At the beginning, trail-running adepts ran not for the sport but for the love of a lifestyle structured by strong values: respect for the environment, contact with nature and of course solidarity. During UTMB®, these values are dear to us and we do everything to put them into practice through the use of concrete and positive measures. Back in 2006, solidarity was already a central principle with the creation of the association Courir pour toi. It helped us launch solidarity race-bibs and allowed runners to participate in the UTMB® while directly supporting a charity fund. As a result, trail-running is a sports discipline that supports communities. Since the creation of the UTMB® we have showed our concern for environment, and it is for this reason that, in January, we adhered to 15 eco-responsible commitments through the ministry of sports and the French branch of the WWF. Mont-Blanc. Tour du Mont-Blanc (TMB) is where inspiration for UTMB® came from. Originally the idea was to run the TMB in one single shot, individually, via the footpaths in a maximum of 46 hours. Today’s the 171 km route, and the 10 000 m of cumulated vertical, remain an extraordinary adventure.