UTMB Gone Astray
Can an intervention bring them back?
If you aren’t tuned-in to the politics of ultrarunning (maybe you didn’t even know there was such a thing as politics in ultrarunning), you probably missed the drama that surfaced in our community late last week.
The very short version of things is that a well-respected and beloved 100-mile race in the mountains of British Columbia (Whistler Alpine Meadows), directed by widely respected and beloved trailrunner Gary Robbins, has been displaced by a new race, through some apparently nefarious actions by a combination of the UTMB/Ironman organization and Vail Resorts (the owners of the resort on which the race occurs). (By the way, Gary was one of the spotlight characters in the Barkley article I photographed several years ago – see Barkley 2016)
Some background
For those who aren’t familiar with ultra-distance trailrunning… the modern version of our sport emerged in the 1970s, grew slowly for three decades, then exponentially over the past 10-15 years. From the beginning, it has been mainly a grassroots phenomenon, driven by passionate – and independent – individuals and small organizations, united by a general ethos, but with almost no formal structure or standardization. Exploding popularity has of course attracted corporate interest (which is not necessarily either good or bad).
One of the biggest of those corporate players is UTMB, which once was just the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc, a 105-mile race around the Mont Blanc massif that starts and ends in Chamonix, France. Now UTMB has expanded to include a worldwide array of “by UTMB” branded races, and recently joined forces with the Ironman organization. That expansion is the context for the current drama. In this particular edition of that drama, Gary and his race are the small bookstore trampled by Amazon, the local mom-and-pop displaced by Walmart.
And those of us involved with other races like Gary’s can’t help but imagine that, if it could happen to him, it could happen to any of us.
So when members of the nonprofit board I’m part of (Eastern States Trail-Endurance Alliance – the caretaker organization for the Eastern States 100 in Pennsylvania) heard what had happened, we took notice. We are not generally a reactionary bunch, but we decided this situation was compelling enough to warrant a response.
More background:
What Really Went Down in Whistler (Gary Robbins)
Andy Jones Wilkins speaking about this situation
Our response
We spent Saturday morning drafting this statement:
I added my own comment to that statement from the board:
On a personal note, if you're familiar with our organization you'll know that among current and past board members we have multiple UTMB and Ironman finishes, spectacular experiences. We mean it when we say "with sadness and disappointment". The thing is, no matter how good your events are, you can't just do what you want, can't be a bully without repercussions.
You may realize that one of those UTMB finishes is mine (see My UTMB), and it was an overwhelmingly positive experience, a highlight of my running career... so I’m feeling that sadness and disappointment directly.
Redirect (this is an Intervention)
Which is why I’d like to try to slightly redirect the large (and favorable) response our statement has drawn (and I want to be clear that this is my own opinion, that I’m not speaking for our board when I write this).
I’m heartened by the broad support and strong emotions I see in the responses, both to our statement and to things that others have published, but I am not comfortable with the level of hostility that I see in some of those reactions.
I see this as an intervention, something you do for a loved one who has gone astray. Saying that “UTMB has lost its way” implies that it might find its way back.
I want this be much less “we hate you and everything you touch” and much more “we love you, man, but what you’re doing right now is not acceptable”.
My (perhaps naive) hope is that there are still some trailrunners within their organization, some people who still believe in the old ethos that led them to start their race in the first place, and that by calling them out loudly and publicly, with a united front, we might get enough of their attention that they ask some questions: Is this how we want to be? Is this the way we want to conduct ourselves? Is this what we want to be known for?
I’d like us to help New UTMB remember what Old UTMB was like, and help them find their way back to that. Because I liked Old UTMB.
Old UTMB and New UTMB
When I first learned about UTMB (circa 2016) my impression was that it was big, and it was different in its presentation – distinctively Euro, with more in-your-face commercialism, more spandex and more logos and more hype than North American trailrunners are used to. But it still felt like it was fundamentally the same sport, devoted to the same ethic — and it was an epic race, well worth working to get into.
It was also an innovator (in a good way). Some examples:
an objective rating system for races — yes, we already had Ultrarunning Magazine’s system, but this was more comprehensive
an objective rating system for runners — yes, we already had UltraSignup’s system, but this was more comprehensive and potentially more accurate
uniform high standards for race management, for logistics and aid stations and runner safety, etc.
cutting edge runner tracking and race coverage
All good things, I think — good for them, but also good for runners and good for the sport.
But now we get to the turn…
There is a huge demand for entry in UTMB’s main race in Chamonix, so like other popular races, they have a lottery for those spots, and to enter that lottery you have to accumulate points at other races.
When I earned my way into the Old UTMB lottery in 2016, there was a wide array of races to choose from, with points based on difficulty, and you just had to collect them (I got mine by running Black Canyon 100k, Manitou’s Revenge, and the Mogollon Monster 100-miler).
For New UTMB, the system is more complex, but its main feature is that you have to run at least one of those other “by UTMB” branded races to get access to the original UTMB.
So they have taken what was a relatively fair and accessible system that arguably helped the entire sport and produced a de facto world championship, and they’ve turned it into a closed system that allows them to monopolize that world championship. And now they are apparently using bully tactics to take out small players like Gary Robbins.
A way out?
I’m certain there is a way out. I’m not nearly as certain that they will find it and follow it.
But that brings me back to my hope, that this incident — and our response to it — might be a wake-up call, both for us as a sport and a community, and for whatever is left of Old UTMB within New UTMB.
I believe there is room for everyone in this sport. I believe there is room for different models, for the path my organization has taken as a non-profit, for independent for-profit race directors, and for large corporate interests. I believe it is possible to be big and commercial and to make a lot of money while still being ethical, responsible members of what is now a worldwide community.
And I believe there is still time for the trailrunners within New UTMB to realize they are off course, take back control of their situation, and return to their place as responsible leaders in our sport.
Great article Jeff, and great substack!