UTMB 2026: My Ultimate Trail Running Race
What is UTMB?
The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) is widely considered the most prestigious and competitive trail-running race in the world. Think of it as the Tour de France of ultra running. Every year, around 2,500 runners line up to complete a grueling ~174 km loop around the Mont Blanc massif through France, Italy, and Switzerland, tackling nearly 10,000 meters of elevation gain.
Why UTMB for Me?
Back in April 2020 (right in the middle of lockdown), I stumbled across Kilian Jornet’s YouTube videos. I was completely shocked watching him go on these absurd 24-hour mountain adventures while fueling on nothing more than four Snickers bars. I remember thinking, Is this even humanly possible?
Kilian immediately became my trail-running idol. As I followed his career, UTMB kept popping up as the ultimate pinnacle of the sport. Looking at the course map and the sheer scale of the Alps, I set a long-term goal right then and there: one day, I’m running UTMB.
My Prep and Training
My build-up wasn’t exactly smooth. After pushing a half-marathon faster than my body wanted to go, I ended up with a stubborn calf injury that just wouldn’t quit. Forced off my feet for a few months, I turned to cross-training and completed an awesome cycling trip across the US (check out my USA Cycling Adventure 2026 write-up).
Once the bike trip wrapped up, I had roughly 2.5 months to rebuild my running base and get into mountain-ready shape. I threw myself into heavy volume, aiming for 150+ km per week with over 5,000m of elevation gain.
My typical training week looked like:
- Weekend: 1 monster mountain session (50+ km with 3,000m+ vert)
- Mid-week: 1 solid mountain vert session (~20K with 1,000m+ vert)
- Tuesday: Track workouts with Club Northwest. Gotta keep some speed in the legs
- Other days: Easy base running, plus cycling and golf on rest days to keep the legs moving
If you want to dig into the raw numbers, check out my full training analytics on my Looker Studio Dashboard.
The Race
Six years after first watching that video, I finally stood on the start line in Chamonix. And man, it delivered.
The first five hours were pure electric magic. Every single inch of road and trail was lined with roaring fans—someone even flashed us near the start line! Climbing out of Les Contamines genuinely felt like a mountain stage of the Tour de France, with spectators screaming, “C’mon Jonas!” right in your face as they pushed you up the hill.
I hit the halfway mark in Courmayeur feeling unscathed and strong. I pulled into the aid station for a lightning-fast shoe change with my one-woman F1 pit crew, my wife Kelli 💕.
Then, the high-altitude reality set in.
Climbing up to the highest point of the course at Grand Col Ferret during the hottest part of the afternoon, the wheels came completely off. Altitude sickness hit, paired with brutal dehydration and heat exhaustion. From 100 km onward, my stomach completely shut down—I was essentially living on a pure watermelon diet.
I spent nearly two hours total recovering at aid stations, including taking a (what felt like) 30-second power nap and pounding an Aldi Redbull. Thankfully, that fateful second wind finally kicked in…
The Comeback
Once that second wind hit, I ran like a bat out of hell.
I started carving through the field, passing runner after runner on the technical descents and climbs. Between Le Giète and Trient alone, I clawed back 57 positions, eventually overtaking 91 runners in the final stages of the race.
The final climb up La Flégère was an absolute sufferfest that nearly broke me, but knowing Chamonix was just down the ridge kept the legs moving. Entering town at 3:00 AM, the crowd energy was still unbelievable. I sprinted past one final runner right on the cobblestones and crossed the iconic finish arch with my hands in the air.
What an absolute adventure.
Final Stats
Here is the final breakdown:
Official Distance: 174.17 km (108 miles)
Elapsed Time: 31:21:16
Moving Time: 27:45:40
Elevation Gain: 9,674 m (31,738 ft)
Calories Burned: 15,090 kcal
Overall Finish Rank: 374th (Bib #867)