UTMB

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 1024m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Big early climb with 1.3km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• Final 872m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 122km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 164km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.5km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.5km–15.4km · Climb of 805m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 15.4km–85.4km · Descent of 1024m averaging 15%, descent of 928m averaging 17%, descent of 1220m averaging 14%. Plus 4 more climbs and 1 descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 85.4km–164km · Climb of 746m, high point 2521m, descent of 1615m averaging 8%, climb of 782m. Plus 2 more climbs and 3 descents. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 164km–171km · Descent of 872m averaging 13%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 10040m+. With 57m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 41% of the distance is uphill, 40% downhill and 19% flat. The longest climb runs 10.2km at an average 10.0% grade (1017m of vertical). The longest descent runs 19.5km at an average 8.3% grade (1615m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 38.9% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 36.6% over 0.4km. Surface: 70% trail, 16% road, 7% smooth, and 6% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 257.5 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Arête du Mont Favre (2442m), 70.6km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Le Béchar (1720m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 25.7km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 79 of 100), with 44% of the load in the first half: 5 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 122km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 164km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 15.4–22.5 km · 1024 m D−, -14.5% · 148.7 km ahead → control
• #2 · 46.1–51.6 km · 928 m D−, -16.6% · 119.5 km ahead → control
• #5 · 61.9–66.2 km · 538 m D−, -12.5% · 105.0 km ahead → control
• #3 · 70.5–79.2 km · 1220 m D−, -14.0% · 92.0 km ahead → control
• #4 · 102.2–121.8 km · 1615 m D−, -8.3% · 49.4 km ahead → control
• 164.3–171.1 km · 872 m D−, -12.8% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
• Plus 3 more notable descents not listed: your pace.

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 10°C to 20°C, with around 4°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 43%.

Results

1,665 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Tom Evans (Great Britain) in 19:18:58. Women's winner: Ruth Croft (New Zealand) in 22:56:23.