New Trail Running Series Debuts

UTMB Group and The IRONMAN Group partner to launch ground-breaking new UTMB® World Series

You've no doubt witnessed the growth in popularity that trail running is experiencing, as many of us take time to reconnect with nature, be mindful, and challenge our body in different ways. As a result, we are pleased to share that our parent company, The IRONMAN Group has begun a partnership with UTMB Group that will revolutionize the sport of trail running and bring our community together through a new, integrated and inclusive system.

The creation of the new UTMB® World Series will unite the most beautiful events on the planet with the high standards, values, and spirit of UTMB®, providing the only gateway for runners to begin their quest to UTMB® Mont-Blanc, home of the prestigious UTMB® World Series Finals.

Tarawera Ultramarathon is proud to be part of the UTMB World Series, in its inaugural year, commencing in 2022.  

The UTMB® World Series will be built around the values of UTMB®: surpassing oneself; fair play; respect for people and the environment; and solidarity. This means more amazing places for you to run, more events for you to love, and a clearer path for you to reach the pinnacle of trail running, Ultra Trail UTMB® Mont-Blanc.

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New opportunities for trail runners

As of 2022, the UTMB® World Series will integrate four levels of event: The UTMB® World Series Finals, UTMB® World Series Majors, UTMB® World Series Events, and UTMB® World Series Qualifiers. The UTMB® World Series will provide new benefits for runners such as privileged access to registration, as well as new and more precise sporting criteria that considers the specificities of trail running. This includes maintaining the Performance Index as an exclusive asset of UTMB Group and creating new categories for classifying events.

Performance index: Runners familiar with the sport's first-ever ranking system will be able to continue using it on the new UTMB® World Series platform to evaluate and compare their performance level. Runners with a Performance Index will have privileged access to UTMB® World Series Event and UTMB® World Series Majors, races, regardless of their level.

New categories based on the km-effort: There will be four UTMB® World Series categories including 20K, 50K, 100K and 100M which will be based on the km-effort, a globally recognized formula for measuring the race distance in trail running by considering both the distance and elevation gain to calculate the perceived distance. For example, 100M means 100 miles and represents a 170 kilometre-effort.

Top athletes' consultation: In the process of defining the UTMB® World Series sporting structure, a significant group of international elite athletes were consulted to understand their collective feedback. Under the new sports system, to gain access to the UTMB® World Series Finals, the best trail runners on the planet will have to qualify by taking part in the UTMB® World Series Majors or UTMB® World Series Events over a period of 15 months.

• The top 10 male and top 10 female runners in each of the 50K, 100K and 100M categories at the UTMB® World Series Majors will win a place for the next edition of the UTMB® World Series Finals race of the same category.
• The top 3 male and top 3 female runners in each of the 50K, 100K and 100M categories at the UTMB® World Series Events will win a place for the next edition of the UTMB® World Series Finals race of the same category.

The quest for Mont-Blanc

Inspired by the high standards of UTMB®, runners will be able to take part in the most beautiful events on the planet and begin their quest to Mont-Blanc where the prestigious UTMB® World Series Finals will be held. Events will be held across six continents, giving all runners more opportunities to live the UTMB® experience on a global scale.

The full calendar of UTMB® World Series Events will be announced in the fall; eight international events are already confirmed across Europe, Asia and Oceania, including:

• UTMB® Mont-Blanc (France, Italy, Switzerland)
• Val d'Aran by UTMB® (Spain)
• Thailand by UTMB® (Thailand)
• Panda Trail by UTMB® (China)
• Gaoligong by UTMB® (China)
• Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMB® (New Zealand)
• Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB® (Australia)
• mozart 100 by UTMB® (Austria)

Perks of partnership

The pioneering new UTMB® World Series will unite the trail running community by drawing on UTMB Group’s expertise in the sport and The IRONMAN Group’s acclaimed global experience, to create the future of trail running. The UTMB® World Series will give trail runners a chance to live out their passion in the heart of some of the world’s most extraordinary natural settings while exploring iconic destinations and embracing different cultures.

More than a sporting challenge, the UTMB® World Series will use its global platform to raise awareness around environmental issues while advocating for inclusivity. Sporting ethics will also play an important role in the UTMB® World Series, with elite and amateur runners treated as equals. The organizers will also put an emphasis on the health and well-being of every participant so each athlete can focus on their opportunity to Meet their Extraordinary.

UTMB World Series begins in 2022. Be part of it.