How to get into UTMB: Running Stones, the index and the lottery

UTMB is the race most trail runners dream of: 170-odd kilometres around Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland, with close to 10,000 m of climbing. Far more people want to run it than there are places, so entry is a lottery, and you can only enter the lottery with the right results behind you. Here is how it works, and how to plan the races that get you there.

The races in Mont-Blanc week

HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc is a week of races in Chamonix at the end of August. Three of them are the finals of the UTMB World Series: UTMB itself (the 100-mile final), CCC (100K) and OCC (50K). TDS is a long, tough race on the same week with its own entry rules.

What you need to enter the lottery

For UTMB, CCC and OCC, you need two things when you register:

• At least one Running Stone earned in the last 24 months. You earn stones by finishing UTMB World Series races (more below).
• A UTMB Index in the right category. The index is a performance score from your trail results. UTMB accepts an index in the 100K or 100M category; CCC accepts 50K, 100K or 100M; OCC accepts any category, including 20K.

So for UTMB itself, your recent results must include a race long enough to count as 100K or 100 miles. A string of short trail races can get you into the OCC draw, but not the UTMB one.

Running Stones, explained

Every finish at a UTMB World Series race earns stones, depending on the race’s distance category: 1 for a 20K, 2 for a 50K, 3 for a 100K and 4 for a 100-mile race. The World Series Majors, the biggest events in the series, give double: 2, 4, 6 and 8.

Categories are set by km-effort rather than plain distance: every 100 m of climbing counts as an extra kilometre. A 50 km race with 2,500 m of climbing is 75 km-effort, so a hilly race can land in a higher category than its distance suggests. The tables below show km-effort for each race.

In the lottery, each stone is one more chance to be drawn. Stones add up and don’t expire, so if you miss out, you keep them for next year. When you are drawn and take your place, the stones you used are spent and your count starts again.

When the lottery opens

For the 2026 edition, pre-registration for UTMB, CCC and OCC ran from 8 to 19 January 2026, and runners who were drawn confirmed their place by early February. The dates for 2027 had not been published when we wrote this (29 October 2026), but expect the same pattern: a short window in January for a race at the end of August. Charity places and some group entries opened earlier, in December.

Rules and dates checked against the UTMB Mont-Blanc registration conditions on 29 October 2026. Always read the current rules on utmb.world before you register.

Which races to run for stones

We list 206 UTMB World Series races, and 189 of them are first come, first served: no lottery, you just register before they sell out. That makes collecting stones much easier than getting into Chamonix. A few things to weigh:

• Distance category: one 100-mile finish earns as many stones as four 20K races, and it gives you the index category UTMB requires.
• Climb and weather: a 100K in the Alps in July is a different day from one in the hills in spring. Every race page shows the total climb and the usual race-day temperature.
• Travel: the series runs on every continent, so there is usually a race within a short flight. Race pages show the flight time from your home airport.

A first stone: shorter races with open entry

UTMB World Series races of 20 to 60 km with up to 2,500 m of climbing, coming up in the next 12 months, that you can enter without a lottery. Good for a first stone and an index for OCC.

Long races that count for UTMB itself

Races of 80 km or more with open entry in the next 12 months: the distances that earn three or four stones and an index in the 100K or 100M category.

See every race in the series, with filters for distance and date, in the UTMB World Series list, and the toughest of them in the hardest ultramarathons.

Other ways in

• Elite places: top finishers at World Series events and Majors can qualify directly for the finals.
• Charity places: a limited number of UTMB, CCC and OCC places go to runners raising money for partner charities, first come, first served.
• Groups: you can enter the draw as a group, but everyone is drawn with the stone count of the member who has the fewest.
• TDS: for 2026, TDS opened on a first-come basis in January rather than by lottery. It still needs a UTMB Index, and it sells out fast.

A timeline to the start line

• Now to next summer: run one or two World Series races, including at least one 100K or 100-mile race if you are aiming for UTMB itself. A stone earned in 2027 counts for the draws in January 2028 and January 2029.
• December: check the new registration dates on utmb.world, and the charity places if you want one.
• January: pre-register in the lottery window; results follow within days.
• February to August: if you’re drawn, book Chamonix early. Hotels and flats sell out quickly for race week (our race trip guide has a booking timeline). If not, your stones carry over: race again and try next year with better odds.

Quick answers

How many Running Stones do I need for UTMB?

One stone earned in the last 24 months is enough to enter the lottery. More stones don’t guarantee a place, but each one adds a chance in the draw.

Do Running Stones expire?

No. They build up from year to year until you are drawn and take your place.

Can I enter UTMB without the lottery?

Only through an elite place or a charity place. For almost everyone, the lottery is the way in.

What is the difference between UTMB, CCC and OCC?

Distance: UTMB is the full 100-mile loop around Mont Blanc, CCC is about 100 km from Courmayeur and OCC about 57 km from Orsières. All three finish in Chamonix.

Big road marathons fill by lottery too, with their own windows and rules: see marathon lotteries explained.