The different types of points (UTMB Index, Running Stones, ITRA Points)

What if we started at the very beginning: the UTMB ⭐️. You hear about it as soon as you lace up a pair of trail shoes, and that’s pretty fair. Every year, this race brings together the biggest stars (of trail, not movie stars 🎬); they come to tread the lands of the massif on an extraordinary course. Between the extreme weather conditions, the legendary duels and the demanding routes, the greatest moments in the sport happen here 📍. Over a full week, a total of 8 races follow one another, ranging from 15 km to 300 km. Yes, yes, apparently there are superhumans on Earth… 🔥 What you need to remember is that "Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB®)" is the name of the flagship route of 170 km with a total of 9,900mD+, but it’s also the name of the event 📈. And you’ll quickly understand that it’s very, very VERY sought-after, so getting a bib to run its trails is almost as hard as finishing the race… 🏃 For that, the event has set up a points system that assesses everyone’s level or gives you a chance to get there 🤞.

Do I have the ability to do it? 🫣 That’s what the UTMB Index answers. Simply put, it’s kind of your level as a trail runner, based on the races you do that are part of the UTMB® World Series ✨. This circuit brings together trail races all over the world recognized by UTMB® 🫡. Since every distance is different, they selected 4 categories: 20K, 50K, 100K and 100M. Because yes, running 20 km isn’t the same as running 100 (even though that would be nice 🤣)… When you take part in one of these recognized races, depending on your time, the level of the race and the other runners, you get a personal score 💪. This Index lets you prove your abilities so you can enter other races. For example, if you want to enter a 100K race, sometimes you’ll need to show a score from a 50K or 20K ➕ race. To validate one, they’ll offer you a short list: the Trail de Haute Provence, on the trails of the Luberon, the Peak District Challenge that will totally unplug you, or the 6000D by Dare2b, just to rack up some serious altitude ⛰️.

Can I be in the UTMB lottery? 🍀 Check your Running Stones and you’ll know! We told you this race is SOOOOO sought-after, so to keep things fair among registrants, they do a lottery 🃏. But you’ll be a happy little rascal, because with these stones you can hope for better odds of being selected. But first, how do you get them, you’ll ask. Well, no competition or stopwatch here: as long as you finish a race in the UTMB World Series circuit, you collect Running stones 💎. The final number depends on the course you take on, and depending on its distance, its elevation gain and its technicality, you’ll get more… Or less. 1 Running Stone is one extra chance to be drawn, so even with a not-so-great Index (we’re sure that’s not your case), if you have lots of Running Stones you still have a chance of being picked! 😁 To get some, we recommend heading to the Trail du Saint-Jacques by UTMB®, the Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB®, or if you want to go further afield there’s also the Torrencial Chile by UTMB®, which will make you sweat 😰.

Is this race tough? 😮‍💨 Well, judging by its ITRA points, it sure looks like it. You’ve probably already seen, in the details of a course, a number between 0 and 6 that corresponds to ITRA points. Well, turns out they’re not there just to look pretty 😂. The higher it is, the more technical the race is considered. If it’s as steep as a wall, with endless kilometers, it’ll probably be 6 points, like La Sportiva Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB® 🤌. On the other hand, if it’s not that long, is runnable and gently strokes your calves, it’ll be more like 1 point, like the 24 km of the Trail des Coursières 🌳. To define it, they do a calculation that links the kilometers covered with the elevation gain, and depending on the result, it gets its representative points ✔️. But did you know these points can also be useful to you?

What’s my world ranking? 🤓 Good question, because that’s where they’ll come in handy. Look at your ITRA points, and you’ll know. Launched by the International Trail Running Association, they’re there to boost your ego or bring it down… The closer your score gets to 1,000, the more you’re considered an expert in the discipline! 🏃‍♂️ To have a number you’re not ashamed to share, you’ll need to take part in races listed by ITRA. Once you cross the finish line, if you put in a Kilian Jornet-level performance, your score will be high—and if not, we don’t need to spell it out… 🙆 On your side, it’s by stringing races together that your average will take shape. With a score at each finish, an average is calculated and your Index appears 🌟. Easy, right! Be careful not to confuse them with the UTMB Index, because here, it has no connection to the prestigious race! 🏆

A quick recap won’t hurt: the UTMB Index is your level, Running Stones correspond to your odds in the lottery, and ITRA points are for the difficulty of a race, or your trail runner ranking 🌝.

Whew, with all this information, we hope you don’t have any more questions. Now you’re a trail pro and a points pro too! 🔥