UTMB Group launches new regeneration roadmap, UTMB for the Planet

Building on the solid sustainability foundations and actions put in place on the Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc since 2003, UTMB Group has today launched a new regeneration initiative which sets out a roadmap to have a positive impact on the communities it serves, the people it touches and our planet.

The new roadmap, titled ‘UTMB for the Planet’, will guide all UTMB Group sustainability actions. As the global leader in trail running, it will ensure that UTMB continues to play a key role in shaping a sustainable future for the sport, the community, and the planet.

UTMB for the Planet encompasses all UTMB World Series events around the globe, with the ambitious target of implementing 40 key initiatives by 2025. These initiatives cover the three pillars on which the strategy is built: environment, territory, and people.

UTMB for the Planet aims to minimize the impact of events on the environment and support the regeneration of mountain ecosystems, to ensure future generations can continue to enjoy the beauty and challenge of trail running.  

A survey conducted earlier this year across all UTMB World Series events highlighted many of the environmental initiatives already in place, including that 96% of all events currently donate excess food at the end; 88% use reusable course marking; and 88% also clean the trail routes before and after events. And with events all over the world, runners are encouraged to find an event closer to home to live the UTMB experience.

At the Dacia UTMB Mont-Blanc, ‘environmental ambassadors’ were introduced in 2013. These 25 trained volunteers have a mission to not only clean trail routes throughout the event, but to also educate all runners on ethical mountain conduct.

For the full list of environmental initiatives, click here.

UTMB Group aims to leave a positive legacy at every event destination by supporting host communities and promoting sustainable tourism to create a lasting impact that goes beyond the race.

To date, 88% of the UTMB World Series events use local suppliers; 66% use locally sourced prizes that represent the local culture; and 58% partner with at least three local non-profit organizations.

For example, this year the Paraty Brazil by UTMB® has been supporting a group of local residents who were chosen to receive training, equipment, nutritional support and provided with event entry to give them a chance to discover trail running and realise their potential as athletes with the goal of representing Paraty at Dacia UTMB Mont-Blanc 2024 and beyond.

For the full list of Territorial initiatives, click here.

UTMB for the Planet outlines a commitment to protecting the health, safety, and the well-being of runners with a focus on inclusivity. With an overall aim to redefine trail running as a sport for all, the strategy focuses on the support for female and adaptive athletes, as well as other underrepresented groups in the trail running world today.

Last year UTMB Group conducted an extensive survey which identified many of the barriers to entry for female runners. While the training required was the main perceived barrier, 25% of women also identified demands on family life as a major contributor.

This led to the launch of the new Pregnancy Policy in 2023, which outlines a commitment to support mothers and their partners including deferral and priority entry guidelines to encourage runners to return to the trail running in a safe way.

UTMB Group has also confirmed the development of a new UTMB Index ranking which will apply a grading system to allow for the fair comparison of female and male runners. The aim of this variable ranking is to allow for better recognition of outstanding performances across genders. The new ranking will be live from the beginning of the 2024 season for all events using the UTMB Index.

The launch of the new sustainability roadmap builds on the extensive actions that have been in place since 2003, and the first ever Dacia UTMB Mont-Blanc, with a commitment from the very beginning to reduce the impact on the environment and support local associations. Over the last 20 years, UTMB has implemented various innovative initiatives such as the first transport plan (2004), the creation of the environmental commission (2006), the launch of environmental ambassadors (2013), equal prizes for top men and women (2016), and the implementation of the ‘Bring Your Own Utensil’ policy (2018).

Earlier this year, UTMB Group also launched UTMB Cares, an endowment fund and global initiative to unite trail running communities and create positive change by supporting local social and environmental causes in race destinations.

As one initiative within the wider UTMB for the Planet strategy, in 2023, UTMB Cares supported the Mosquito Fire Relief Fund at The Canyons Endurance Run by UTMB®, where the funds went to support local communities and restore vegetation following California’s largest fire of 2022. In its first year, UTMB Cares also launched a women in trail program, to go beyond the initiatives implement across the events. The women in trail program has started by supporting 2 trail groups launched by Val D’Aran by UTMB® and Translantau by UTMB®.

Catherine Poletti, UTMB Group Chairwoman, said: "We are very proud of the sustainability achievements of UTMB over the last 20 years, and now our new strategy will guide the next stages of our progress. Sustainability must be ingrained in every area of our work, and we look forward to bringing the global trail running community together around these important actions, so that together we can work towards the regeneration of our planet and have a positive impact.”

Chloé Léger, UTMB Group Regeneration Manager, said: “We are delighted to launch our new UTMB for the Planet regeneration roadmap which sets out our clear actions to have a positive impact on our communities, people and planet.

Our new strategy focuses on several key areas across our 3 pillars the environment, territories, and people, and we are excited to already be on this journey with the existing UTMB World Series events and encouraged by the positive actions already in place.”

Find out more about UTMB for the Planet on the website here and in the downloadable report here.