UTMB® World Series bolsters 2022 circuit with addition of events in North America and across Europe

Runners in the USA will be able to experience the UTMB® adventure and begin their journey to the renowned UTMB® Mont-Blanc on home soil, with the confirmation that two exceptional trail running events in North America will join the inaugural UTMB® World Series in 2022. The organizers of the world’s leading trail running circuit have also announced more opportunities for European runners, with the confirmation of additional events in Croatia and Slovenia.

In the US, Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB® in California will take runners back to the birthplace of mountain ultras along the historic Western States Trail, while Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB® in Utah presents a challenge on one of the toughest 50km races in the country.

In central Europe, Croatia’s premier trail running event, Istria 100 by UTMB®, will challenge runners on a course that is as beautiful as it is demanding, while Julian Alps Trail Run by UTMB® will immerse runners in serene wilderness of the highest mountains in Slovenia.

Taking place from the 7-10 July 2022, Val d’Aran by UTMB® is set to become the first ever European UTMB® World Series Major for the 2022/23 season. The event gives runners the chance to experience the wild side of the Spanish Pyrenees across four distances - 161km, 105km, 55km and 15km – and in its inaugural edition in 2021, welcomed over 3,000 runners from 75 different nationalities.

TransLantau™ by UTMB® - a leading race in Hong Kong – has been confirmed as the 2022/23 Asia-Pacific Major. Taking place from the 3-6 November 2022, the event will offer four races on Lantau Island ranging from 25km to the new 140km distance, allowing runners to escape the urbanization of the city and discover the wilderness of Hong Kong.

The 2022/23 US Major will be confirmed in the coming months, and will take place at the beginning of 2023, forming part of the qualification for the first ever UTMB® World Series Finals in Chamonix, August 2023.

The UTMB® World Series Majors offer additional qualification chances for the UTMB® World Series Finals with the top 10 male and top 10 female runners in each of the 50K, 100K and 100M categories automatically winning their place at the 2023 Finals start line. Regular runners will also collect double the amount of Running Stones compared to other UTMB® World Series Events, increasing their chance of being selected through the UTMB® Mont-Blanc 2023 registration lottery.

On the 23 April 2022, Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB®, will bring runners back to the birthplace of mountain ultras, in Auburn, California. Participants will experience the most scenic and difficult sections of the iconic Western States Trail as they cover up to 15,000’ through the infamous Canyons.

Along rugged trails, runners can enjoy great panorama vistas of the Sierras and rarely seen canyon gullies as they run through beautiful oak and pine canopied forests on fast descents and steep climbs. Crossing streams and old wooden bridges through historic settlements from California’s gold rush days, Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB® is a real journey through time, in the footsteps of the pioneers of ultra-running.

The Canyons Endurance Runs will feature three distances: 100km, 50km and 25km. Registrations are open here.

Held on the slopes of one of the USA’s top ski resorts, Snowbird in Utah, Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB® has deservedly earned itself a reputation as one of the toughest 50km races in the US. Gruelling verticals, unique, rocky terrain, and endless elevation is met with blue skies, breath-taking views and wildflowers of Utah’s Wasatch Mountain Range. 

This iconic mountain race, named after famed American ultrarunner and founder of Speedgoat Mountain Races, Karl Meltzler, offers a distance for everyone including a 130km, 28km and the legendary 50km, which with almost 12,000 feet of vertical climbing - and almost all of it above 9,000 feet – is not for the faint hearted. 

Held in July 2022, the race will celebrate its 15th anniversary next year. Entries will open in January on the event website here.

Istria 100 by UTMB® is the biggest trail running race in Croatia, and from the 7-10 April 2022, over 2,000 runners will head to the heart-shaped peninsula of Istria in the north-west of Croatia to take on the challenge.

100-mile, 128km, 68km, 40km and the new 20km courses are all on offer, with the 100-mile challenge providing a course that is as beautiful as it is demanding. Runners can expect technical terrain, old medieval towns, deep forests, muddy valleys and even a little bit of coasteering with breath-taking views stretching all the way to the Adriatic Sea on a journey through the most scenic parts of Istria. Visit the event website here for details on entries opening.

Slovenia’s premier trail running race, Julian Alps Trail Run by UTMB®, gives runners the chance to literally run into serene wilderness and explore the outstanding trails of the highest mountains in the country. Named after the mountain range on which it takes place, the event combines mountain paths and accessible trails with more technical terrain and has something to offer every trail runner.

With Slovenia’s highest mountain, Mount Triglav, at its heart, runners on the 170km, 100km and 60km courses will experience a treasure trove of natural beauty, including picturesque Alpine valleys, the dazzling shorelines of Lake Bled and the emerald-green beauty of the Soča River. 10km, 15km and 30km distances are also available, making this is a real celebration of trail running for all abilities.

Based around the alpine resort of Kranjska Gora in north-western Slovenia, the event takes place from the 16-18 September 2022, and entries are now open on the website.

24 leading international events across 16 countries are now confirmed for the first ever UTMB® World Series, promising runners of all abilities from around the world the chance to immerse themselves in the UTMB® experience. UTMB® World Series Events are the only place where runners can collect running stones and begin their journey to UTMB® Mont-Blanc – the new home of the UTMB® World Series Finals.

• Tarawera™ Ultramarathon by UTMB® (New Zealand), 12 February
• Istria 100 by UTMB® (Croatia), 7-10 April
• Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB®, (USA) 23 April
• Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB® (Australia), 12-15 May
• Trail du Saint-Jacques by UTMB® (France), 11 June
• mozart 100™ by UTMB® (Austria), 18 June
• La Sportiva® Lavaredo Ultra Trail® by UTMB® (Italy), 23-26 June
• Trail 100 Andorra™ by UTMB® (Andorra), 24-26 June
• Western States® 100-Mile Endurance Run (USA), 25-26 June
• Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB® (USA), July
• Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB®, (Wales), 1-3 July
• Restonica Trail by UTMB® (France) 7-9 July
• Val d'Aran by UTMB® (Spain), 7-10 July
• Trail Verbier Saint-Bernard by UTMB®, (Switzerland), 8-10 July
• Eiger Ultra Trail by UTMB®, (Switzerland), 15-17 July
• Wildstrubel by UTMB®, (Switzerland), 8-11 September
• Julian Alps Trail Run by UTMB®, (Slovenia), 16-187 September
• Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB® (France), 22-25 September
• Puerto Vallarta México by UTMB® (Mexico), October
• Thailand by UTMB® (Thailand), 8-11 December
• TransLantau™ by UTMB® (Hong Kong), 3-6 November
• Panda Trail by UTMB® (China), dates TBC
• Gaoligong by UTMB® (China), dates TBC
• UTMB® World Series Finals; UTMB® Mont-Blanc (France, Italy, Switzerland), 22-28 August