Race news: The North Face® Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc® - Chamonix, August 25 - 31, 2014
Registration for the 12th The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® will be opened on December 19, 2013. Thousands of runners are expected yet again to register for the world summit of trail-running which, each year, unites more than 50,000 persons (volunteers, organisers, accompanying persons, runners, local inhabitants, general public...) along the paths of the 19 French, Italian and Swiss communities involved around Mont-Blanc.
In its 11 years the event has seen an extraordinary development. 10 years ago, trail-running enticed a few enthusiasts, today this discipline has become a social phenomenon. In France, and all over the world, running in open country attracts more and more people, the trail-running market is growing rapidly and the success of the The North Face ® Ultra-Trail of Mont Blanc ® races contributes to this expanding development.
Three major new items for this increasingly international event:
The 2014 The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®, which is taking place from August 25th - 31st, will bring together almost 7000 runners coming from all over the world (in 2013, 74 nations were represented...). No other race attracts so many nations...This year there are some new items:
A new race, the OCC
The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® is becoming even more cross-border and international with the creation of a new race: the OCC, (Orsières-Champex-Chamonix) will start at Orsières, in the Suisse Valais, in the heart of the St Bernard country and finish in Chamonix. From now on, there is a race starting in each of the countries surrounding Mont-Blanc.
As a shorter model, this race will be accessible to lovers of middle distance (in the category Trail Ultra Medium (M) between 42 km and 69 km). Also, so that the less « Ultra » who wish to begin and to participate in the The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® can find a race with a format which allows them to enter the event. The route of the OCC will give a taste of the incomparable charm of the villages on the approach to Champex and the last part of the magic of the UTMB® or the CCC®.
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Essential details of the OCC
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Start: Orsières, Thursday August 28th at 08:00
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Finish: Chamonix
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Distance: 53 kilometres
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Height gain: 3 300 metres
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Maximum time: 14 hrs
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No qualifying points necessary
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Points acquired by finishers: 1 point
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Maximum number of runners: 1 000
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The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® is on the Ultra-Trail® World Tour circuit
Connected to the international community of trail-running, The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® has, since September 2013, been a part of the Ultra-Trail® World Tour, a circuit which has just seen the light of day. It brings together the world's most emblematic trail-running and ultra-endurance events, which share the same values and which celebrate the last to cross the line with the same passion as the first.
This circuit is an invitation to travel and discover the richness and diversity of the most beautiful races in the world. This annual international competition, the Ultra-Trail® World Tour, for its first year links 10 big races on 5 continents, with its own ranking, which will discern the holder of the title of champion of the Ultra-Trail® World Tour. In agreement with the organisers four events, of which the UTMB® is one, have been selected to be a "series" of the Ultra-Trail® World Tour and will favour the gathering of elite runners.
For more information (programme, date, country, titles) concerning the running of the Ultra-Trail® World Tour: click here
The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® subscribes to the International Trail Running Association (ITRA)
Exchanges between interested parties fuels progression, improvement, adaptation and thoughts and ideas for the future. It is with this objective that since 2013, The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® has been a member of the International Trail Running Association which unites numerous trail-running organisers, elite runners and also those of all levels, sports' equipment brands, associations.... By creating a dynamic founded on a gathering and exchange of thoughts and ideas of all the representative players in the field of the discipline, the ITRA has set several goals:
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The promotion of Trail-running as a complete stand-alone sport, rich in its diversity of cultures and locations and which is accessible to all.
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The development of a sports ethics which leans strongly on its values and the development of environment-friendly sporting events
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The implementation of prevention initiatives in favour of the good health of athletes and the fight against doping.
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The deployment of initiatives to improve the quality of organisations and the participants' safety.
The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® participates in the ITRA to contribute to the development of a sport founded on true values, to listen to all the players in the field of trail-running and in order to continue to improve the quality of its races.
More information: click here
2014 registration
Registration, exclusively by internet, opens on December 19th at 10:00
5 events between August 25th and 31st 2014. Please note that the departure times for the UTMB® and PTLtm have changed:
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PTL™: 300 km - +28 000 m - Starts Monday at 17:30 - Chamonix (FR): open to 100 teams of 2 or 3 persons.
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TDS™: 119 km - +7 250 m - Starts Wednesday at 07:00 - Courmayeur (IT): open to 1600 runners.
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OCC: 53 km - +3 300 m - Starts Thursday at 08:00 - Orsières (CH): open to 1000 runners.
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CCC®: 101 km - +6 100 m - Starts Friday at 09:00 - Courmayeur (IT): open to 1900 runners.
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UTMB®: 168 km - +9 600 m - Starts Friday at 17:30 - Chamonix (FR): open to 2300 runners.
Qualifying races
Since 2007 facing a surge in the number of requests for registration, the organisation has set up the fairest possible selection mode. Registration for the UTMB®, CCC® and TDS™ is only possible for runners who have obtained, between January 1st 2012 and December 31st 2013, the necessary number of qualification points. The list is available on the web-site: qualifying races for the 2014 Ultra-Trail®
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UTMB® : 7 points acquired between 01/01/2012 and 31/12/2013 (in a maximum of 3 races)
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CCC® : 2 points acquired between 01/01/2012 and 31/12/2013
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TDS™ : 2 points acquired between 01/01/2012 and 31/12/2013
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OCC : no points required
The pre-registration period will be open from December 19th 2013 to January 6th 2014
If the quota is passed, a draw will be made so that the limit of the number of runners is respected.
The results will be published on January 15th 2014 at 10:00 (Paris time).
Registration is managed by over-booking, there is, therefore, no waiting list.
PTL™ special
This event is without ranking, in complete autonomy in teams 2 or 3 participants who should stay together throughout.
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A PTL™ team of 2 or 3 persons must, obligatorily, have at least 1 finisher from a precedent UTMB®, PTLtm or Tor des Géants®.
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The team leader (obligatorily the finisher of the UTMB®, PTL™ or Tor des Géants®) registers on behalf of all his team members at the same time.
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Registration will be open as of December 19th 2013.
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Registration will be closed once the quota of 100 teams is reached.
All information concerning registration is available by clicking here
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2014 registration prices
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UTMB® : 207 €
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CCC® : 128 €
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TDS™ : 142 €
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OCC : 68 €
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PTL™ : 670 €
The registration prices have been augmented to maintain the quality of the event despite its rapid growth. The development of the number of people welcomed (runners [7 000 expected in 2014], accompanying persons, general public...) generates a rise in organisational costs, particularly in the important areas of: security, reception, logistics, transport, refreshments, gifts, etc ... The figures are enormous.
For example : 36 refreshment posts, 15 marquees erected at different points along the route, 10 safety shelters placed on passes by helicopter, 50 000 tuc biscuits, 2 800 kg of cheese, 20 000 persons transported, 170 buses and drivers, 50 control points, etc...
The success of the The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® races is, without any doubt, due to the quality of the organisation. To guarantee, once again, irreproachable logistics for the runners and those accompanying them, the visitors and the volunteers, it is essential to strengthen safety devices, reception and to professionalize certain services.
Nevertheless the price per race kilometre for the races around Mont Blanc remains amongst the lowest in comparison with organisations of the same size: Between 1.15€ and 1.30€/km (after augmentation) for this year, 2014.
Compared to:
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Paris Marathon = between €70 and 115 according to the date
(between 1.7€/km and 2.73€/km)
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NY Marathon = €290 (6.9€/km)
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Western State = $370 (= 273€) (1.68€/km)
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UTMF = 36 000 yen (= 258€) (1.61€/km)
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Vasalopett (99km) between €180 and €230 according to the date...
(between 1.8€/km and 2.32€/km)
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For thousands this will be the start of six month of training, emotional due to some sacrifices and a lot of pleasure.
See you on August 25th for a week of partying and trail-running around the Mont Blanc country.
For more information, visit the race website: www.ultratrailmb.com -
Further links: ultratrail.tv, Facebook: www.facebook.com/UltraTrailMontBlanc - Twitter: twitter.com/TNFUTMB
