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The Race that Changed Running: The Inside Story of UTMB
How the ultra marathon around Mont Blanc turned trail running into a mega sport
Twenty years ago, a small band a runners came up with an hold a race around the Alps’ highest peak, covering more than 100 miles through Italy, France and Switzerland. They expected a few crazy souls. Instead more than 700 runners showed up. Running was changed forever.
This is the improbable story of how Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) became one of the world’s great sporting events even as it set new limits of human endurance. It is a story of how world’s best runners, in the historic home of mountain adventures, brought about a revolution in running that has been felt across the globe.
For this unbiased and inside look at the past, present and future of the UTMB, author and trail runner Doug Mayer, was given unfettered access to the UTMB archives, and spoke to more than 100 people, from race organizers and winners, to experts and scientists, to those who love the UTMB, and even those who hate it. The result is a book with more than 200 photos, maps and infographics that is the most comprehensive perspective into trail running’s greatest race.
Twenty years ago, a small band a runners came up with an hold a race around the Alps’ highest peak, covering more than 100 miles through Italy, France and Switzerland. They expected a few crazy souls. Instead more than 700 runners showed up. Running was changed forever.
This is the improbable story of how Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) became one of the world’s great sporting events even as it set new limits of human endurance. It is a story of how world’s best runners, in the historic home of mountain adventures, brought about a revolution in running that has been felt across the globe.
For this unbiased and inside look at the past, present and future of the UTMB, author and trail runner Doug Mayer, was given unfettered access to the UTMB archives, and spoke to more than 100 people, from race organizers and winners, to experts and scientists, to those who love the UTMB, and even those who hate it. The result is a book with more than 200 photos, maps and infographics that is the most comprehensive perspective into trail running’s greatest race.
208 pages, Paperback
Published June 13, 2023
44 people are currently reading
388 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 26, 2023
UTMB story is very fascinating in itself and this book is informative. I would recommend it, even thought I gave it 3 stars. It reads easily, one will not spent much time or effort going trough this one.
But, it is written as if author is trying to create Netflix documentary. Main story is too often paused in order to write side stories or even to announce side stories. Which are there just to create unnecessary drama - race is cool in itself, I see no need for cheap tries of creating some "I defeated myself" type of narrative.
That format could work in an 1 hour documentary but surely it does not work in a book.
Hah, maybe it is made for newer readers that require constant "side quests" to keep them interested.
But, it is written as if author is trying to create Netflix documentary. Main story is too often paused in order to write side stories or even to announce side stories. Which are there just to create unnecessary drama - race is cool in itself, I see no need for cheap tries of creating some "I defeated myself" type of narrative.
That format could work in an 1 hour documentary but surely it does not work in a book.
Hah, maybe it is made for newer readers that require constant "side quests" to keep them interested.
June 3, 2024
This book was a good history of the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, the biggest event in all of ultra trail running. Mayer was very even handed, he devoted equal time to humanizing the Poletti’s and fleshing out the criticisms of them and the race. He takes some stands that the race would be better received by the public if they were more transparent and did more outreach to the community. He defends the Poletti's against demonizations that they are corporate shills who are out to get rich.
I enjoy reading about ultra running history, and I love following UTMB every year, so I can’t quite put my finger on where this missed for me. It was a good read, but something about it just wasn’t compelling enough to finish it in a timely manner. I perceive that I am the exact target audience of the book so if it wasn’t compelling for me, I wouldn’t recommend it to others unless they are passionate about the subject matter.
I enjoy reading about ultra running history, and I love following UTMB every year, so I can’t quite put my finger on where this missed for me. It was a good read, but something about it just wasn’t compelling enough to finish it in a timely manner. I perceive that I am the exact target audience of the book so if it wasn’t compelling for me, I wouldn’t recommend it to others unless they are passionate about the subject matter.
August 28, 2023
While trail running is not a new sport, it has grown in popularity during the first two decades of the 20th century. This book on the sport’s most popular event, an ultra marathon around Mount Blanc – Ultra Trail du Mount Blanc (UTMB) - that covers ground in Italy, Switzerland and France and ends in the latter, is probably the best illustration of that popularity.
Author Doug Mayer, who has run in the UTMB himself, gives the reader an extensive look at the course, the people who took the concept of the event and made it reality and of course the runners themselves. This includes a wide swath of people of various ethnicities and backgrounds and just the stories of these people would make for excellent reading.
However, for one to truly enjoy the book and appreciate all that goes into putting on the event, be sure to read the entire thing. Just like when reading books about team sports such as American football or baseball, there is extensive work done to provide the reader information on the training and mindset of the athletes, the costs involved to both participants and organizers, sponsorships and other business aspects and more. This is the reason why I give the book such high marks – every possible topic about the race is covered in excellent detail by Mayer. If you are at all curious about trail running, then this book is for you.
I wish to thank Helvetiq for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
Author Doug Mayer, who has run in the UTMB himself, gives the reader an extensive look at the course, the people who took the concept of the event and made it reality and of course the runners themselves. This includes a wide swath of people of various ethnicities and backgrounds and just the stories of these people would make for excellent reading.
However, for one to truly enjoy the book and appreciate all that goes into putting on the event, be sure to read the entire thing. Just like when reading books about team sports such as American football or baseball, there is extensive work done to provide the reader information on the training and mindset of the athletes, the costs involved to both participants and organizers, sponsorships and other business aspects and more. This is the reason why I give the book such high marks – every possible topic about the race is covered in excellent detail by Mayer. If you are at all curious about trail running, then this book is for you.
I wish to thank Helvetiq for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
November 23, 2025
Trail runners know about UTMB — Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc — the 100-mile race around the mountain and its cols, covering three countries of France, Italy, and Switzerland. In a 208-page book, The Race that Changed Running: The Inside Story of UTMB, Doug Mayer sets out to explain the origins of UTMB and how it “brought about a revolution in running that continues to resonate around the globe”.
Visually, the book is appealing: it contains more than 200 photos, maps, and infographics, to help illustrate the terrain, the course, and the personalities involved.
The strength is in Mayer’s explanation of UTMB’s origins, with many interviews with the race’s founders, Catherine Poletti and Michel Poletti. There had been separate races in the Mont Blanc area, and hiking treks covering the area over several days, but what about organising a single race to be completed in one go? Mayer provides a thorough account of how the Polettis, with running and mountaineering friends, made it happen. This includes a recounting of running politics, negotiating with sporting associations, local authorities, and with later success, those wanting to take over ownership of the race.
The drama leading up to the first UTMB race in 2003 is captivating. The new race was a bold venture.
It was interesting to read profiles of some of the pioneering UTMB runners.
However, other athlete vignettes didn’t add much to the story.
UTMB is now recognised as a pinnacle in the trail running calendar, with a weeklong series of races held in Chaminox, France, in late August. There are thousands of participants, most having to qualify by completing UTMB-recognised races in advance.
Mayer’s story of the growing popularity and ensuing challenges for the Polettis isn’t as compelling. Or, it may have been the interruptions with side stories, photos, and infographics. Halfway through the book, I couldn’t decide whether the focus was about the history and current state of affairs of UTMB as a business, or how UTMB’s structure of racing (UTMB Index, UTMB World Series, UTMB World Series Finals) has turned a single, 100-mile race into a global running enterprise.
Perhaps a tighter, core text with less distractions (put into appendices or a set of pages) would have made this a more coherent read.
Mayer touches on important points, such as environmental sustainability of UTMB’s racing ecosystem (participants flying around the world to complete qualifying races to earn “running stones”) and equality of treatment of women (belatedly implementing pregnancy waivers and equal recognition of top race winners).
Overall, The Race that Changed Everything does bring alive the setting of UTMB — the Mont Blanc massif, the villages, and atmosphere of earlier trail running in the area. The personal narratives help humanise the event, but may have been better delivered woven into the main body text.
Mayer’s highlighting of the tension between trail running as a “soul sport” and commercialisation was his motivation for writing the book:
“The more I wrote about the race, the more questions I had. Everyone, it seemed, had a strong opinion about the race, but few had a clear grip on anything more than the surface facts. Endless speculation seemed to be a part-time hobby for some Chamonix trail runners… Whatever you think of UTMB — and the opinions run the gamut — the race matters. And if you care about trail running, you need to care about what happens at UTMB. And yet there was so much static. What I wanted most — an honest, unvarnished look at the UTMB story — didn’t exist.”
The Race that Changed Running succeeds admirably as a vivid, insider chronicle of UTMB — its people, place, and growth — but is less convincing about how UTMB reshaped running — all running — with its model. Indeed, controversies continue and some runners cite a lack of communication with the trail running community as a whole.
The book is a useful entry point, even with its leaps between business narrative, athlete stories, and technical race details. It introduces the flavour of trail running that UTMB envisages, which is worth learning about if you’re at all interested in the sport.
Visually, the book is appealing: it contains more than 200 photos, maps, and infographics, to help illustrate the terrain, the course, and the personalities involved.
The strength is in Mayer’s explanation of UTMB’s origins, with many interviews with the race’s founders, Catherine Poletti and Michel Poletti. There had been separate races in the Mont Blanc area, and hiking treks covering the area over several days, but what about organising a single race to be completed in one go? Mayer provides a thorough account of how the Polettis, with running and mountaineering friends, made it happen. This includes a recounting of running politics, negotiating with sporting associations, local authorities, and with later success, those wanting to take over ownership of the race.
The drama leading up to the first UTMB race in 2003 is captivating. The new race was a bold venture.
It was interesting to read profiles of some of the pioneering UTMB runners.
However, other athlete vignettes didn’t add much to the story.
UTMB is now recognised as a pinnacle in the trail running calendar, with a weeklong series of races held in Chaminox, France, in late August. There are thousands of participants, most having to qualify by completing UTMB-recognised races in advance.
Mayer’s story of the growing popularity and ensuing challenges for the Polettis isn’t as compelling. Or, it may have been the interruptions with side stories, photos, and infographics. Halfway through the book, I couldn’t decide whether the focus was about the history and current state of affairs of UTMB as a business, or how UTMB’s structure of racing (UTMB Index, UTMB World Series, UTMB World Series Finals) has turned a single, 100-mile race into a global running enterprise.
Perhaps a tighter, core text with less distractions (put into appendices or a set of pages) would have made this a more coherent read.
Mayer touches on important points, such as environmental sustainability of UTMB’s racing ecosystem (participants flying around the world to complete qualifying races to earn “running stones”) and equality of treatment of women (belatedly implementing pregnancy waivers and equal recognition of top race winners).
Overall, The Race that Changed Everything does bring alive the setting of UTMB — the Mont Blanc massif, the villages, and atmosphere of earlier trail running in the area. The personal narratives help humanise the event, but may have been better delivered woven into the main body text.
Mayer’s highlighting of the tension between trail running as a “soul sport” and commercialisation was his motivation for writing the book:
“The more I wrote about the race, the more questions I had. Everyone, it seemed, had a strong opinion about the race, but few had a clear grip on anything more than the surface facts. Endless speculation seemed to be a part-time hobby for some Chamonix trail runners… Whatever you think of UTMB — and the opinions run the gamut — the race matters. And if you care about trail running, you need to care about what happens at UTMB. And yet there was so much static. What I wanted most — an honest, unvarnished look at the UTMB story — didn’t exist.”
The Race that Changed Running succeeds admirably as a vivid, insider chronicle of UTMB — its people, place, and growth — but is less convincing about how UTMB reshaped running — all running — with its model. Indeed, controversies continue and some runners cite a lack of communication with the trail running community as a whole.
The book is a useful entry point, even with its leaps between business narrative, athlete stories, and technical race details. It introduces the flavour of trail running that UTMB envisages, which is worth learning about if you’re at all interested in the sport.
August 14, 2024
Title is hyperbolic. Running was running well before UTMB started in early 00's. But I take his point that its evolution into a large (couple thousand entrants in the main race as part of week-long set of events in Chamonix), prestigious, competitive mountain ultra with big-business structure has greatly influenced highest level of competitive trail ultra running.
Pluses for me were the personal stories from the race (incl. by author, who ran it twice, one of which featured hellacious winter weather [in late August!] in the mountains), beautiful color photography on the extremely scenic course, and even-handed, in-depth treatment of some of the controversies (prize money, gender inclusion, partnership with the Ironman organization).
Minuses were.....
--in my reading, extremely superficial treatment, or none whatsover (e.g., on race and class), of other inclusion issues in ultra trail running and this race in particular. Also just a couple lines of question-raising re the substantial environmental issues involved in getting thousands of people to fly from all over the world to run trails in France/Italy/Switzerland.........having accumulated advantages in the entry lottery by competing in one or more other international races overseen by same group.
--I normally don't care about typesetting and fonts and such, but this may be the least readable book I've ever finished. Roughly 2-point font and exceptionally light kind of gray-ish print. It's a tribute to my interest in the content that I got through it without a magnifying glass (full disclosure: I'm 63, and perhaps this is not as much an issue for younger readers).
Pluses for me were the personal stories from the race (incl. by author, who ran it twice, one of which featured hellacious winter weather [in late August!] in the mountains), beautiful color photography on the extremely scenic course, and even-handed, in-depth treatment of some of the controversies (prize money, gender inclusion, partnership with the Ironman organization).
Minuses were.....
--in my reading, extremely superficial treatment, or none whatsover (e.g., on race and class), of other inclusion issues in ultra trail running and this race in particular. Also just a couple lines of question-raising re the substantial environmental issues involved in getting thousands of people to fly from all over the world to run trails in France/Italy/Switzerland.........having accumulated advantages in the entry lottery by competing in one or more other international races overseen by same group.
--I normally don't care about typesetting and fonts and such, but this may be the least readable book I've ever finished. Roughly 2-point font and exceptionally light kind of gray-ish print. It's a tribute to my interest in the content that I got through it without a magnifying glass (full disclosure: I'm 63, and perhaps this is not as much an issue for younger readers).
January 30, 2024
I picked this up months ago and finally started reading it now, UTMB, that they have added several new controversies to their stable. I love that it followed the 2022 edition of the race since that was the year I got to be in Chamonix to experience the whole spectacle in person, and honestly, it was incredible. Having fast packed most of the trails on the course and knowing what it was like out there takes it to a whole new level. However, the company behind it all has quite a few issues they need to figure out and address, and they never seem to learn. This book does help me understand how they are still be so completely tuned out of the community with the latest debacle. I would love to go back and support the runners at this event again someday, but I would want to see them take steps to fix things first. There is no place on earth like Chamonix in August, and there are reasons they are the biggest player in the game.
Read
October 2, 2024I had never heard of UTMB before I spent 6 days hiking on the Tour du Mont Blanc the same week as the 2024 UTMB. We picked up this book from a local store in Champex-Lac, Switzerland after our 4th day of hiking as we watched runners from the CCC (basically the "half-version" of the UTMB) run by our hotel on their way from Courmayeur to Chamonix. The next morning we cheered on the eventual UTMB winner as he ran by our hotel room at 8:00 am - 14 hours after he'd started the race in Chamonix the night before. Throughout the day we would move to the side of the trail and cheer as some of the fastest UTMB runners passed us on the trail. While this might not be as interesting of a read to someone who doesn't have an interest in trail running or any personal connection to the event or the location where it takes place, having hiked on those same trails and having seen part of the race up close made the book an interesting read.
August 8, 2023
Great read with wonderful photos of the UTMB. If you are a trail runner or enthusiast, I highly recommend you check out this book.
Overall, the book does a great job covering the history of UTMB, mixed together with personal stories of athletes and voicing some of the criticism that has been voiced against UTMB in recent years.
At some points the book felt a bit haphazard. Runner quotes or random graphics mixed into the middle of a chapter.
But, I enjoyed this book. It made me want to UTMB even more than I already did.
Overall, the book does a great job covering the history of UTMB, mixed together with personal stories of athletes and voicing some of the criticism that has been voiced against UTMB in recent years.
At some points the book felt a bit haphazard. Runner quotes or random graphics mixed into the middle of a chapter.
But, I enjoyed this book. It made me want to UTMB even more than I already did.
Want to read
June 2, 2023I'm a runner and have enjoyed reading several books on ultra running, many of which have discussed the UTMB. So when I saw a review of this book dedicated to UTMB I immediately searched for it on Audible - no trace of it there. Next on Google to buy the book . . £20 for a paperback?!?! - seriously? If books have suddenly become so expensive to manufacture then produce a digital version and help keep your carbon footprint down . . or is it just greed?
August 23, 2023
I read this book as I was completing a hike of the 105 mile Tour du Mont Blanc. It provided a detail history of the UTMB which follows the route I hiked in 10 days. The top runners in the race complete the course in about 20 hours, AMAZING!!! It is a great account of how much impact this race has had on trail running and touches on the amazing beauty of the Alps where it is run.
September 5, 2023
Well, if you are into trail running or curious about what all this fuzz about UTMB (ultra trail du Mont Blanc) is about this is a great book.
History, characters, issues, information about the race(s) and pictures.
It was perfect timing for me: This last week was UTMB 2023 week and I'm qualified hence planning to race in UTMB 2024! Looking forward to writing my own UTMB story next year.
History, characters, issues, information about the race(s) and pictures.
It was perfect timing for me: This last week was UTMB 2023 week and I'm qualified hence planning to race in UTMB 2024! Looking forward to writing my own UTMB story next year.
December 27, 2023
Worth it if you already follow UTMB, won't capture your imagination if you aren't already into the topic. Lots of inside baseball; some good stories from participants. Good discussions about the impacts of trail racing becoming more corporate, and paints I suspect an accurate picture of UMTB's founders - hearts in the right place but a persistent tendency to make decisions in a vacuum.
October 5, 2023
I hoped to learn about the UTMB and did. However the supplemental graphics and (especially) photos feel like they are added for the purpose of increasing the length of an already short book. The introduction by Kilian Jornet felt uninspired and hastily written and also added pages but little substance. So despite reaching my goal, the price of admission left me wanting.
Read
November 4, 2023Did the race in 2014 because it was the reason I started with this kind of races. Nowadays I think it does more harm than good to the sport.. (so I picked up a copy of this to see if it would give me new insights, but i guess it didnt)
book was oke, not great.
book was oke, not great.
June 29, 2023
Quick read on the history and thoughts on the future of the iconic UTMB
July 8, 2023
Gorgeous pics! Very informative.
April 11, 2024
Enjoyed the book. Easy to read with some great photos and fascinating to learn about its history and inner workings. Inspired me to think about entering the the CCC race !
September 1, 2024
This is basically a magazine article. Nice if you like the race. Doesn’t really come close to explaining its title.
December 9, 2024
Interesting history, people are imperfect, organisations are imperfect, there are always compromises, even when best intentions align.
Still makes me want to explore the wild places in the world.
Still makes me want to explore the wild places in the world.
June 25, 2025
Quick and easy read. I loved learning about the UTMB race, particularly after hiking the TMB course.
August 2, 2025
Not sure why I read this, but cool to learn about.
Last image of the Shepherdess is really pretty
Last image of the Shepherdess is really pretty
September 16, 2023
Book of the month for the Donner Party Mountain Runners
https://donnerpartymountainrunners.co...
https://donnerpartymountainrunners.co...
November 1, 2023
I read this just a week after watching the UTMB in Chamonix and found it an interesting dive into the history of the event. The story of the local couple setting it up and remaining the organisers to this day was very interesting, particularly how they resisted big commercial inputs for so long. Unfortunately, the book is light on comment on the way UTMB is going and how its grabbing of other ultra races is harming the sport, and its model is becoming unsustainable.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews