UTMB World Series
THE ULTIMATE TRAIL RUNNING WORLD SERIES
UTMB® World Series is the world’s ultimate trail-running circuit that unites the sport’s biggest stars and amateur 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. It is the only place where runners can begin their quest to UTMB Mont-Blanc and the UTMB World Series Finals.
How to Qualify
As a UTMB World Series Event, Tarawera Ultramarathon provides you opportunities to access the UTMB World Series Final, the OCC, CCC or UTMB, in Mont-Blanc, France, via:
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A lottery place, earned through collection of Running Stones
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Sporting performance, with the top three finishers in male and female category in the TUM50, TUM102 and TUMMiler earn a place at the OCC, CCC or UTMB respectively.
Learn more about qualification for the UTMB World Series Finals here
UTMB World Series Finals
The UTMB World Series Finals will be held in the three key distances of the UTMB Mont-Blanc - known as the OCC (50k), CCC (100k) and UTMB (100M). To qualify for a place at the Finals, trail runners must compete in at least one of the UTMB World Series Events or UTMB World Series Majors, where they can collect Running Stones for use in the lottery, or be rewarded for their performance with direct access.
UTMB World Series Majors & UTMB World Series Events
UTMB World Series Events are the best trail running events on the planet and are organized to the highest quality standards, giving runners the chance to immerse themselves in the UTMB experience on all continents. Each year, three of these events will be given the status of UTMB World Series Majors, becoming continental Series finals in the Americas, Europe and in Asia/Oceania.
UTMB World Series index
The gateway to UTMB World Series with thousands of races which are open to all. Participating in a UTMB World Series Index race is not mandatory to begin your adventure in the Series but runners who do take part will benefit from privileged access to UTMB World Series Events and UTMB World Series Majors.
The lottery through the collection of running stones
Runners must have collected at least 1 Running Stone over the past two years to enter the lottery for one of the three UTMB World Series Finals - OCC, CCC and UTMB. Runners will also need to have a valid UTMB Index for the distance of their choice.
Running Stones accumulate over time, have no expiry, and each Running Stone gives an additional chance to be selected via the lottery. The Running Stones are awarded exclusively to finishers of UTMB World Series Events and UTMB World Series Majors in the 20K, 50K, 100K or 100M category.
Running Stones can only be used to enter the lottery for one race of the UTMB World Series Finals per year. If the athlete is not drawn, they may use their Running Stones to enter the lottery for a subsequent edition of the race of their choice, provided they have a valid UTMB Index in the relevant category.
The TUM21 is a 20K UTMB World Series Event, with 1 Running Stone allocated.
The Bachcare TUM50 is a 50K UTMB World Series Event, with 2 Running Stones allocated.
The TUM102 is a 100K UTMB World Series Event, with 3 Running Stones allocated.
The TUMMiler is a 100M UTMB World Series Event, with 4 Running Stones allocated.
UTMB Index
A valid UTMB® Index is obtained by completing a race in a UTMB World Series Event, UTMB World Series Major or a labelled UTMB World Series Qualifier in the 20K, 50K, 100K or 100M categories.
To validate their registration for the OCC lottery, runners must have a valid UTMB Index in the 20K, 50K, 100K or 100M category. To validate their entry into the CCC lottery, runners must have a valid UTMB Index in the 50K, 100K or 100M category. To validate their registration for the UTMB lottery, runners must have a valid UTMB Index in the 100K or 100M category.
Sporting performance
To participate in the UTMB World Series Finals, the best athletes on the planet must qualify for the UTMB World Series Majors or UTMB World Series Events races over a period of 15 months. This allows elite runners to optimize their season or their recovery periods.
The first 10 men and women on the UTMB World Series Majors, as well as the first 3 men and women on the UTMB World Series Events in each of the 50K, 100K and 100M categories, will win a place at the UTMB World Series Finals in the equivalent category. They will have the possibility to change category for the Final if they wish. To do this, they must inform the UTMB Mont-Blanc organization before mid-June, indicating the reasons for the request.
If a runner does not wish to use their entry to one of the UTMB World Series Finals - or does not need it because they already have a bib - their entry will be redistributed by mid June. These entries - as well as all of those which become available for any other reason - will be offered to runners who have completed at least one race in the 50K, 100K or 100M categories of the UTMB World Series Events or UTMB World Series Majors in the previous year and will be selected according to the best UTMB Index. In this instance, if a runner does not use their entry, it will be offered to the next ranked runner, and so on until all available access is distributed.
For races that take place less than three months before the UTMB World Series Finals, any qualified elite runner can choose whether to participate in the UTMB World Series Finals the same year or the following year. For runners who decide to take part in the Final the following year to that in which they qualified, we may consider granting a wild card for a shorter race in the qualifying year.