Updated August 29, 2025 12:50PM
LIVE NOW: The Super Bowl of Trail Running Is Underway in the Alps (and Our Minds Are Blown!)
UTMB 2025 is underway in Chamonix. Learn what the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc is, why it matters, and how to watch the toughest trail race.
French runner Ugo Ferrari is welcomed by supporters with flares as he climbs the Notre Dame de la Gorge during the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) in Les Contamines-Montjoie in 2024. (Photo: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP)
Right now, the world鈥檚 best endurance athletes are circling Mont Blanc on foot in one of the most mind-blowing races on Earth: the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB). The 106-mile event is underway in Chamonix, France, and you can (and rewatch anytime on 国产吃瓜黑料+). 国产吃瓜黑料 Run also has you can鈥檛 find anywhere else.
If you鈥檝e never heard of UTMB, here鈥檚 why this mountain-sport spectacle is worth tuning into, even if you鈥檙e not a runner.
What Exactly Is UTMB?
It started in 2003 as a single, jaw-dropping race: 106 miles around Mont Blanc, the tallest peak in the Alps. The course covers three countries鈥擣rance, Italy, and Switzerland鈥攃limbs the equivalent of Mount Everest from sea level, and gives runners fewer than two days to finish.
Since then, it鈥檚 exploded into a full festival. Today, UTMB week includes eight different races, gear launches, film screenings, brand parties, and a nonstop crowd of cowbell-ringing fans. For outdoor athletes of every stripe, Chamonix becomes a pilgrimage site.
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The Main Event
The race everyone talks about is still the original: the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (watch it live for free now on and rewatch anytime on 国产吃瓜黑料+).
About 2,300 runners line up to circumnavigate Mont Blanc on foot鈥106 miles, 33,000 feet of climbing, and 10 alpine summits.
For perspective: that鈥檚 four marathons, back-to-back, on mountain trails, often through the night, with a cutoff time of 46.5 hours.
Winning here makes you a legend. American star Courtney Dauwalter has done it three times (2019, 2021, 2023) and is gunning for a fourth. Jim Walmsley became the first American man to win in 2023. For the sport of ultrarunning, UTMB is the crown jewel.
Why It Matters (Even If You Don鈥檛 Run)
Even if you never plan to , this is the kind of event you can鈥檛 stop watching. The finish-line footage delivers the type of full-body chills and tear-jerking emotion you usually only get from the very best Olympic commercials.
- Sheer spectacle: Watching humans push through 100+ miles in the Alps is both mind-bending and inspiring.
- Outdoor culture: UTMB is a gathering place for athletes, brands, filmmakers, and fans across skiing, climbing, and cycling鈥攏ot just running.
- Scenery: The footage is stunning: glaciers, alpine villages, and cowbells echoing through the night.
- Feel-good storylines: Americans are finally breaking through, while European legends defend their turf.
The Other Races
While UTMB is the headliner, a lineup of supporting events also happened this week, which you can .
- Petite Trotte 脿 L茅on (PTL): A 186-mile team trek over unmarked terrain. No winners, just survivors.
- Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix (CCC) and Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie (TDS): Brutal 鈥渕id-distance鈥 races (62鈥92 miles) that attract top pros (CCC) and aspiring champions (TDS).
- Orsi猫res-Champex-Chamonix (OCC), Martigny-Combe-Chamonix (MCC), and Experience Trail Courmayeur (ETC): Shorter but still beastly races (9鈥34 miles) that range from international-level distance runners to locals, volunteers, and even rising stars taking a shot at the stage.
- Youth Chamonix Courmayeur (YCC): A two-day race for teens ages 14鈥19, like the Little League World Series鈥擜lpine edition.
All of these races end in Chamonix, greeted by roaring crowds and a finish-line energy that feels more like a rock concert than a running race.
How to Watch
- .
- Catch replays anytime on 国产吃瓜黑料+, so you don鈥檛 miss the finish.
- Want the full race-by-race breakdown?.
Bottom line: UTMB is more than a race. It鈥檚 a mountain-sport phenomenon that turns a quiet ski town into the beating heart of endurance culture for one unforgettable week, and it just might motivate you to close your laptop early today and get outside. Inspired by what you see? Check out our complete . Winter more your thing?
