This article perfectly articulates the winners and losers of the UTMB system. Personally, I did CCC in 2023 and since then I have not done another UTMB branded event. I dislike the closed model, and I even disliked the standardization. I now find joy in going to smaller places, discovering hidden gems and experiencing local communities. Last year I participated in a race in Ohrid, North Macedonia, with less than a 100 runners. It was a memorable experience and one which I definitely recommend to everyone. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of UTMB, but the overall experience is just as memorable if not more.
Thanks for sharing! I'd love to run CCC someday and am embarking on my first UTMB race later this year (luckily, it's also a WSER qualifier). I don't want to only race UTMB races, but I feel a pressure to opt in if I want to make the CCC dream a reality someday.
In the U.S., there are a number of great race organizations (e.g. Aravaipa) that put on amazing race day experiences. I don't like the idea that I should have to choose. I wish there was a way for all races to feed into the larger ones.
Yep! Mind you, it is very easy for me to opt out from 'by UTMB' races given that I already did CCC and I totally understand that other people feel like they have to participate in a system which they do not necessarily agree with just to get the opportunity to race in Chamonix. I am tempted by UTMB (although I am more tempted by PTL to be fair...) and since they are basically buying out so many races, I do feel like I will do some 'by UTMB' race at some point in the future. It feels like we are all in between a rock and a hard place :)
Great piece. In 2023, I ran Kodiak 100. It was the first time the event was run under the UTMB umbrella. The production value was high, but, IMO, the vibe was a bit off. The end point seemed to be to get to Chamonix, and I understand, as that's the flagship event. But, to this runner, the commercialization of Kodiak seemed to overshadow what it was that we were actually doing -- going on a really cool and super hard circumnavigation of Big Bear Lake. I was fortunate to do well in my AG and I also got lucky enough to get into UTMB for 2025. But I chose to skip the trip to Chamonix because it was not only wildly expensive, but also the prospect of joining the circus didn't appeal to me. Not at this time in my life, at least.
Thanks for sharing your experience! To be clear, I'm not trying to hate on UTMB. I would assume their race experiences are high-quality, even if more commercial. Coincidentally, I'm running Kodiak 100K later this year and hope to make it to CCC someday, so I'm not against UTMB as an idea, but your anecdote about the vibes being off makes me a little concerned about what the sport looks like in the future if all of the biggest ultras are just funnels to UTMB/CCC/etc.
I hear ya. I did see some friends working one of the stations, so there was some local flavor. (And keep this in mind, this was 2 years ago, so it's quite likely things have evolved ... for the better). There're only two big races on my bucket list. And there are so many other smaller races that look super compelling. Best of luck to you at Kodiak in October, and fingers crossed that you get into CCC. Running in the Alps would be incredible.
Thank you Seth for providing an excellent and detailed analysis of the rise of the UTMB empire. I see this model continuing to grow BUT I also see a lot of other race management teams growing the independent model - especially here in the United States. A prime example is Aravaipa Running. Their races are easier to get into and probably cost less. As a mid to back of the pack runner, I lean towards the smaller races. And if you add up all the ultra and sub-ultra runners who do not participate in UTMB races - you will probably get a lot more in numbers.
Thank you, Jenn! Yes, I agree that Aravaipa is a great example of the independent model. I've run two of their races and they are always so well put on.
There are also some solid local race organizations that I enjoy, especially for training races or just for fun. I hope as UTMB continues to scale, we're able to maintain the local and independent race orgs as well.
At the very least, I hope being away of how things could go wrong will help the community of races stay strong while also allowing for growth and new entrants.
Whilst I agree with the idea that monopolistic models are not great down the stretch, I feel that the rise of UTMB has increased exposure to trail running and has been a big contributor to the growth of the sport over the last few years. It brings big tourism dollars to the towns and I have seen firsthand some events that has been around for years, all the sudden multiply massively in the last few years and they remain non UTMB events despite the fact that UTMB has helped with its rise in some ways.
I did an event during the year where it was small, and it was one of the best trail experiences I have had. It reminded me the importance of grassroots for a community experience and that expansion /corporatisation is not always the way.
I think the best way forward is for some of those independent events to merge or take over other local races so that they can build up their own brand. This gives them stronger protection from UTMB but also gives runners exposure to their other events.
There are still plenty of small races - not for profit, but mostly organized by crews who do it for the love of the sport. So while that culture is alive, I don't see why I should feel forced into the UTMB system.
I am not in Chamonix and don’t want to be. I hate this monopolization and wish Hardrock & WSER would drop UTMB races as qualifiers. I’d like to see them choose qualifiers that are independent and have a higher percentage of female finishers. Events that I ran when they had their original RDs—Tarawera, Speedgoat, Desert Rats—sold out to UTMB and now have the same vibe and branding and thus are not as special or as connected to the community. Elite-level runners could & should spotlight grassroots races and run sanctioned championships where they all show up instead of making UTMB the de facto championship.
This article perfectly articulates the winners and losers of the UTMB system. Personally, I did CCC in 2023 and since then I have not done another UTMB branded event. I dislike the closed model, and I even disliked the standardization. I now find joy in going to smaller places, discovering hidden gems and experiencing local communities. Last year I participated in a race in Ohrid, North Macedonia, with less than a 100 runners. It was a memorable experience and one which I definitely recommend to everyone. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of UTMB, but the overall experience is just as memorable if not more.
Thanks for sharing! I'd love to run CCC someday and am embarking on my first UTMB race later this year (luckily, it's also a WSER qualifier). I don't want to only race UTMB races, but I feel a pressure to opt in if I want to make the CCC dream a reality someday.
In the U.S., there are a number of great race organizations (e.g. Aravaipa) that put on amazing race day experiences. I don't like the idea that I should have to choose. I wish there was a way for all races to feed into the larger ones.
Yep! Mind you, it is very easy for me to opt out from 'by UTMB' races given that I already did CCC and I totally understand that other people feel like they have to participate in a system which they do not necessarily agree with just to get the opportunity to race in Chamonix. I am tempted by UTMB (although I am more tempted by PTL to be fair...) and since they are basically buying out so many races, I do feel like I will do some 'by UTMB' race at some point in the future. It feels like we are all in between a rock and a hard place :)
Great piece. In 2023, I ran Kodiak 100. It was the first time the event was run under the UTMB umbrella. The production value was high, but, IMO, the vibe was a bit off. The end point seemed to be to get to Chamonix, and I understand, as that's the flagship event. But, to this runner, the commercialization of Kodiak seemed to overshadow what it was that we were actually doing -- going on a really cool and super hard circumnavigation of Big Bear Lake. I was fortunate to do well in my AG and I also got lucky enough to get into UTMB for 2025. But I chose to skip the trip to Chamonix because it was not only wildly expensive, but also the prospect of joining the circus didn't appeal to me. Not at this time in my life, at least.
Thanks for sharing your experience! To be clear, I'm not trying to hate on UTMB. I would assume their race experiences are high-quality, even if more commercial. Coincidentally, I'm running Kodiak 100K later this year and hope to make it to CCC someday, so I'm not against UTMB as an idea, but your anecdote about the vibes being off makes me a little concerned about what the sport looks like in the future if all of the biggest ultras are just funnels to UTMB/CCC/etc.
I hear ya. I did see some friends working one of the stations, so there was some local flavor. (And keep this in mind, this was 2 years ago, so it's quite likely things have evolved ... for the better). There're only two big races on my bucket list. And there are so many other smaller races that look super compelling. Best of luck to you at Kodiak in October, and fingers crossed that you get into CCC. Running in the Alps would be incredible.
Helpful context. I’m actually more focused on WSER, but figure it would be cool to race in the Alps at some point in my life :)
Same with me for States. 2026 will be lottery #5 for me. Someday!
Will be #3 for me (assuming I take care of Kodiak). Best of luck!
I think this shows that what they've been able to do with UTMB has been very successful from a business standpoint.
However it really just re-enforces my love for adventure and smaller (non UTMB) events.
Thank you Seth for providing an excellent and detailed analysis of the rise of the UTMB empire. I see this model continuing to grow BUT I also see a lot of other race management teams growing the independent model - especially here in the United States. A prime example is Aravaipa Running. Their races are easier to get into and probably cost less. As a mid to back of the pack runner, I lean towards the smaller races. And if you add up all the ultra and sub-ultra runners who do not participate in UTMB races - you will probably get a lot more in numbers.
Thank you, Jenn! Yes, I agree that Aravaipa is a great example of the independent model. I've run two of their races and they are always so well put on.
There are also some solid local race organizations that I enjoy, especially for training races or just for fun. I hope as UTMB continues to scale, we're able to maintain the local and independent race orgs as well.
At the very least, I hope being away of how things could go wrong will help the community of races stay strong while also allowing for growth and new entrants.
Fantastic article, really nail it well.
Whilst I agree with the idea that monopolistic models are not great down the stretch, I feel that the rise of UTMB has increased exposure to trail running and has been a big contributor to the growth of the sport over the last few years. It brings big tourism dollars to the towns and I have seen firsthand some events that has been around for years, all the sudden multiply massively in the last few years and they remain non UTMB events despite the fact that UTMB has helped with its rise in some ways.
I did an event during the year where it was small, and it was one of the best trail experiences I have had. It reminded me the importance of grassroots for a community experience and that expansion /corporatisation is not always the way.
I think the best way forward is for some of those independent events to merge or take over other local races so that they can build up their own brand. This gives them stronger protection from UTMB but also gives runners exposure to their other events.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I agree UTMB has helped grow the sport globally. I just hope they are considerate as they continue to expand.
There are still plenty of small races - not for profit, but mostly organized by crews who do it for the love of the sport. So while that culture is alive, I don't see why I should feel forced into the UTMB system.
I am not in Chamonix and don’t want to be. I hate this monopolization and wish Hardrock & WSER would drop UTMB races as qualifiers. I’d like to see them choose qualifiers that are independent and have a higher percentage of female finishers. Events that I ran when they had their original RDs—Tarawera, Speedgoat, Desert Rats—sold out to UTMB and now have the same vibe and branding and thus are not as special or as connected to the community. Elite-level runners could & should spotlight grassroots races and run sanctioned championships where they all show up instead of making UTMB the de facto championship.
I agree I’d like to see the qualifiers be independent. Great way to not crowd them out while also helping to increase their relevance.
While UTMB can certainly help from a logistics standpoint, I don’t want historical races to lose what made them special in the first place.
Thank you chatgpt for this precise article.