UTMB Announces Updated Race Entry Qualification System

April 19, 2019

Highlights

UTMB® race organizers have updated race entry procedures so all fans can one day enter the race of their dreams.

The new system will feed into the new strategic partnership between UTMB® and the Ultra Trail® World Tour and the creation of the “Running Stones.”

2-Step Transition:

2020: An evolution of the rules, implementation of a more flexible lottery

2021: Introduction of a faster procedure to enter the UTMB® Mont-Blanc races by taking part in the new international circuit races.

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! In order for all runners to be able to enter the race of their dreams one day, the organization has renewed the entry process.

How does the current system work?

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. Qualifying points were first introduced in 2009 and have evolved over time.

2019 UTMB® Mont-Blanc Qualifying Points Scale 

• UTMB: 15 points acquired in 2 years (3 races maximum)
• TDS: 8 points acquired in 2 years (in 2 races maximum)
• CCC: 8 points acquired in 2 years (in 2 races maximum)
• OCC: 6 points acquired in 2 years (in 2 races maximum)
• MCC: 0 points, the race is reserved for volunteers, local runners, and partners
• PTL: selection upon presentation of a file
• YCC: for younger athletes

2. Once runners have gained their qualifying points, they can pre-register for the race of their choice. If they are not successful, runners gain an advantage for the following year’s lottery for the same race (double 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.)

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.

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 

• UTMB®: 10 points in 2 years (2 races max)
• TDS®: 8 points in 2 years (2 races max)
• CCC®: 6 points in 2 years (2 races max)
• OCC: 4 points in 2 years (2 races max)
• PTL®: 0 points selection upon presentation of a file
• MCC: 0 points for volunteers, local runners and partners

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.

Implementation of a more flexible lottery

From 2020, the lottery will become more flexible. Runners who are not selected on their first attempt through the lottery will have better chances of being selected in following years.

Exceptions:

• Runners who failed to gain entry in 2019 will double their chances of being selected in the 2020 lottery for the same race. If they are still not selected in the 2020 lottery, they will get a direct entry for 2021.
• Finishers of 130 km of 2019 Ushuaia by UTMB® and 130 and 160 km of 2019 Oman by UTMB® will be guaranteed a direct entry for the 2020 UTMB® Mont-Blanc races.

The entry process for elite athletes will still be based on the ITRA ranking. The scale evolves to take into account the increase in the level of international elite athletes. For further information, visit utmbmontblanc.com

2021: An innovative, open and more flexible entry process

In addition to the lottery, which will continue to exist, UTMB® Mont-Blanc 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, 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 the 2020 Ultra-Trail® World Tour events.

UTMB® and Ultra-Trail® World Tour have formalized a major strategic partnership, 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.

How many running stones do you need to access the 2021 UTMB® races without having to go through the lottery?

• UTMB® : 18 Running Stones
• CCC® and TDS® : 15 Running Stones
• OCC : 12 Running Stones

How to Attain Running Stones: 

• Finishers of the by UTMB® races : 1 ITRA point = 3 Running Stones
• Finishers of the UTWT races : 1 ITRA point = 1 Running Stone

Trail running is a booming sport, and its potential is enormous in many countries. The recent partnership between the UTMB® and the Ultra-Trail® World Tour is very exciting. By building on each other’s strengths, by combining the influence of the UTMB® with that of the UTWT, we wish to write a new chapter in the history of our sport and create an extremely appealing circuit for both elite athletes and the millions of passionate trail runners around the world.