UTMB Group Announces Details of New HOKA Prize Purse

June 18, 2024

Boosts Prize Money to Support Professional Athletes in Achieving Sustainable Livelihoods

Press release – Chamonix (France), Tuesday 18 June 2024 /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Today, UTMB Group is pleased to announce the HOKA Prize Purse.

As part of its ongoing commitment to the sport, UTMB Group is proud to provide enhanced support to elite trail runners via the new HOKA Prize Purse. This new investment will support all athletes who juggle demanding training regimes, along with professional careers. The HOKA Prize Purse will help facilitate athlete’s journeys towards earning a sustainable livelihood and aims to elevate the rewards and recognition available to all competitors.

The increase in prize money allocation reflects global UTMB Group’s unwavering commitment to gender equality and parity across distances:

• Gender Parity: UTMB^® World Series continues to be committed to ensuring gender parity, which is reflected in the distribution of prize money. Both male and female athletes will receive equal amounts on both Finals and Majors.

• Equal Recognition: UTMB^®, the iconic original 171km race with 10,000m of elevation gain, now serving as the Final for the 100M category, offers a higher prize money compared to other finals, with male and female winners each receiving 20,000 euros. UTMB World Series recognizes the outstanding performances of every athlete, regardless of the distance they cover. Crossing the finish line of a 50K, a 100K, or a 100M showcases athletes with different skill sets, yet united by the same remarkable perseverance. UTMB World Series aims to commend every athlete on an equal footing, acknowledging that even shorter distances require the same level of dedication and challenge.

Set to be introduced at UTMB World Series, the new HOKA Prize Purse will provide increased prize money for both the Majors and Finals of the circuit:

• HOKA Val d’Aran by UTMB^®, UTMB World Series European Major (Spain – 3-7 July 2024)

• HOKA UTMB^® Mont-Blanc, UTMB World Series Finals (France, Italy, Switzerland, 26 August to 1 September 2024)

• HOKA Chiang Mai Thailand by UTMB^®, UTMB World Series Asia-Pacific Major (Thailand – 6-8 December 2024)

• HOKA Kodiak Ultra Marathons™ by UTMB^®, 2025 UTMB World Series Americas Major.

Jim Walmsley, HOKA Professional Athlete:

“It’s great to see UTMB continue to take steps forward in international trail running to bring together consolidated competition with a bigger prize purse. An increase at UTMB Finals, as well as UTMB World Series majors, gives a lot of incentive for current professionals to prioritize these races and helps inspire the next generation of runners to pursue a career in trail running.”

Francesco Puppi, Pro Trail Runners Association (PTRA) Board has explained:

“We’re happy that the UTMB Group decided to consult the PTRA regarding the new prize money structure for UTMB World Series Finals and Majors. This represents an important step forward in the professionalization of the sport and the recognition of the elite athletes, for the prestige, quality and value they bring to UTMB World Series events.”

Frédéric Lénart, CEO UTMB Group has added:

“Increasing prize money is of great significance to us, to our sport; it’s our obligation to the communities. We are proud to support athletes, both women and men, in fully embracing their passion and making a livelihood out of it.”

About UTMB^® World Series

UTMB^® World Series is the world’s ultimate trail-running circuit that unites the sport’s biggest stars and passionate runners through the best, leading international events in the most stunning locations. Built on a passion for the mountains with sustainability at its heart, UTMB^® World Series gives all trail runners the chance to experience the UTMB^® adventure across the world, with events taking place across Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It is the only place where runners can begin their quest to HOKA UTMB^® Mont-Blanc, where the prestigious UTMB^® World Series Finals will be held. Launched in May 2021 through the collaboration between the UTMB Group and The IRONMAN Group, the UTMB World Series circuit brings together many of the best international trail-running events on the planet. For more information, visit https://utmb.world.

About UTMB Group

Since the creation of HOKA UTMB^® Mont-Blanc in 2003 by a group of passionate friends, UTMB Group has been the driving force behind the development of trail running. The HOKA UTMB^® Mont-Blanc is the sports pinnacle event, and every year, 10,000 runners earn their place on the start line. UTMB Group also pioneered the LiveTrail^® technology, an innovative digital service that supports the management of endurance races. Revered by hundreds of thousands of athletes, UTMB^® has become a global, premium, and leading brand. In May 2021, UTMB Group partnered with The IRONMAN Group to launch the UTMB^® World Series, which brings together many of the best international events on the planet to provide exclusive access to the sport’s pinnacle event, HOKA UTMB^® Mont-Blanc. The UTMB^® World Series is built on the founding principles of HOKA UTMB^® Mont-Blanc: surpassing oneself; fair-play; respect for people and the environment; and solidarity. Find out more at https://utmb.world.

UTMB Group media enquiries

presse@utmb.world Sabina Mollart Rogerson – International press Officer T: +44 7922 140148