How to qualify for UTMB without getting lost in the paperwork
Running Stones, a UTMB Index and a lottery stand between most of us and Chamonix. Here’s where to start, even if your longest trail run still ends at the village café.
How do you qualify for the UTMB lottery?
Under the published 2026 rules, you needed a valid UTMB Index for your chosen Final and at least one Running Stone earned within the previous 24 months. The full 2027 general rules were awaiting publication when checked on 11 November 2026.
There comes a point in a trail runner’s life when someone says, “You’ll need Stones,” and everybody at the table nods. If you’re new to this, you’re entitled to ask whether they mean things you pick up, things you step over or things you’ve just spent £140 on. In this case they’re chances in a draw, earned by finishing the right races.
UTMB can mean the whole Mont-Blanc festival or its headline race, the big loop out of Chamonix through France, Italy and Switzerland. The three World Series Finals are the OCC (50K category), CCC (100K) and UTMB (100M). Those are qualifying categories rather than precise course measurements. The 2026 headline course was listed at 174 km with 9,700 metres of climbing. If a friend describes it as “a lap”, ask to see the contour lines. [UTMB World Series Finals · Headline race course]
The lottery for men and women
For the latest published Mont-Blanc general rules, the 2026 edition, you needed a valid UTMB Index in a category accepted for your chosen final and at least one Running Stone earned in the previous 24 months. The general draw used those entry requirements for men and women. Your Index comes from a qualifying result at a UTMB Index race or World Series race. Running Stones come from eligible World Series finishes, so an Index race on its own might leave you with the Index and zero Stones. Older Stones stay in your account, but you still need a recent one to get into the draw. Each Stone gives you another chance.
| Final | Accepted valid Index categories |
|---|---|
| OCC | 20K, 50K, 100K or 100M |
| CCC | 50K, 100K or 100M |
| UTMB | 100K or 100M |
That means an eligible 50K result can cover the CCC Index requirement, even though CCC belongs to the 100K category. It can’t cover the headline UTMB requirement. Before entering a feeder race, check the organiser’s listing for both its Index category and Stones. Once the finish appears in MyUTMB, check it’s attached to your account, pre-register for your chosen final during the announced window and complete registration if you’re drawn. As of 11 November 2026, Mont-Blanc’s general conditions for 2027 are still to be published. The elite rules for qualifying into those Finals are already available. [Mont-Blanc registration conditions · UTMB Index]
Direct qualification for elite men and women
For the 2027 Finals, qualifying 2026 World Series Events offer direct entry to the top three men and top three women in the 50K, 100K and 100M categories. At Majors it’s the top ten in each. The top five men and women in each Final can earn direct entry to the following year’s Final, subject to the Running Stone requirement. UTMB also sets out qualification through a high race score and exceptions for certain top elite athletes. The score is what you earned in that particular race. The Index is built from your results over time. [Direct qualification rules]
Adaptive athletes, guides and other categories
UTMB has an adaptive athlete recognition process. Its policy covers eligible vision, intellectual, physical and neurological movement impairments, with provision for a guide runner and a route to request facilitated entry to the Finals. Apply for recognition, then pre-register and contact the organiser before the deadline. Under the 2026 Mont-Blanc conditions, approved priority access bypassed the draw while retaining the applicable entry requirements, including the Index and Stone. The published Finals conditions reviewed here give no separate racing-wheelchair standards. Check with the organiser about the course and entry options for your circumstances before booking. [Adaptive athlete policy · Mont-Blanc priority entry conditions]
Two reasons to watch the race even if you never enter
Britain’s Tom Evans won the 2025 men’s race in 19:18:58. New Zealand’s Ruth Croft won the women’s race in 22:56:23, becoming the first woman to win OCC, CCC and UTMB. There’s a good evening in following the live tracking, pouring another cup of tea and watching the same little dot climb for the entire time it takes you to put the kettle on again. [Official 2025 UTMB results]
How far is the UTMB Mont-Blanc race?
The organiser listed the 2026 headline UTMB at 174 km with 9,700 m of ascent. The continuous loop crosses France, Italy and Switzerland. Official course information