Impact Report
Social, environmental, and economic responsibilities and contributions of HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc
“Building a future where nature and society thrive together through respect, inclusion, and sustainability.”
Why this report
For more than 20 years, HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc has committed, edition after edition, to doing better.
The removal of plastic cups in 2007, the creation of the Environmental Commission in 2006, the first charity bibs in 2014, the end of single-use plastic bottles in 2023, the launch of the Adaptive Team in 2024, and the carbon contribution alongside a commitment to reduce emissions by 20% by 2030 in 2025. Each year adds another step forward, because the event continues to grow and the challenges evolve with it.
This report brings together, for the first time, all of these initiatives and their results across the three pillars that shape our approach: social, environmental, and economic. It highlights progress, figures, and supported projects, while openly acknowledging the challenges that remain, starting with mobility.
Four principles guide this report: transparency, accountability, dialogue with all stakeholders, and the commitment to report openly.
The 2024 carbon footprint of HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc totaled 18,600 tCO₂eq, or 1.6 tCO₂eq per runner. Transportation accounted for 88% of total emissions, including 85% generated solely by flights taken by runners and companions. The conclusion is clear: long-distance mobility is our greatest challenge, and this is where our efforts are focused.
In 2025, HOKA UTMB® Mont-Blanc introduced a carbon mitigation strategy built around two complementary levers: reduction and contribution.
Starting in 2026, two major initiatives came into effect:
A 30% boost sin lottery chances for the UTMB®, CCC®, OCC, and ETC for runners committing to choosing the lowest-carbon travel option possible. The incentive is positive and introduced from the pre-registration phase so environmental commitment becomes part of the runner journey itself.
A mandatory carbon contribution, extended to all stakeholders (amateur and elite runners, exhibitors, partners, and organizers) based on the emissions generated. Runners contribute for their round-trip travel, while the organization covers the remaining emissions excluding accommodation.
Since 2023, more than €500 000 € has been invested annually in the UTMB Mobility plan, in partnership with ATMB, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, Transdev, and the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley. The system mobilizes 120 buses across 15 lines serving 28 stations, and 80% of strategic race locations are now inaccessible by personal car. In 2025, 68% of runners and companions who used the system reported being satisfied with the service.
In 2025, €23,000 A carbon contribution funding concrete projects selected alongside EcoAct under VCS and Label Bas-Carbone standards: two low-carbon farming operations in Haute-Savoie (Frangy and Chênex), and an energy transition project for ceramic factories in Brazil using renewable biomass residues. Approximately 900 tCO₂eq were avoided or sequestered overall. Voluntary participation reached 21% among runners.
Between 2024 and 2025, waste volumes generated in Chamonix decreased by nearly 15%, including a 37.5% reduction in household waste and a 31% reduction in organic waste. Waste production reached just 129 g per person at the core of the event, significantly below ADEME averages for events of this scale.
Several initiatives contributed to these results: the Bring Your Own Utensil program (each runner and volunteer brings reusable utensils, cups, and bowls), the elimination of single-use plastic bottles, the 100% reuse of course-marking equipment loaned to six other UTMB events, and operational work carried out alongside associations Aremacs and Ecotrivelo for sorting and recycling.
Course routes are designed in consultation with local authorities, natural area managers, alpine farmers, and landowners to preserve the most fragile areas. Each year, rehabilitation projects are carried out along sections of the Tour du Mont-Blanc trail network in partnership with municipalities, Asters, and social reintegration associations. In 2025, more than 50 people worked for six days on restoration projects across Valle d’Aosta, Valais, Savoie, and Haute-Savoie. During the races, 24 environmental ambassadors trained ahead of the event educated runners, companions, and volunteers on responsible practices. A CIFRE doctoral research program conducted with Université Savoie Mont-Blanc (2025–2028) is analyzing the socio-environmental impacts of major trail-running events and the conditions behind their social acceptance. Une thèse CIFRE menée avec l'Université Savoie Mont-Blanc (2025-2028) objective les impacts socio-environnementaux des grands événements de trail et analyse les conditions de leur acceptation sociale.
The share of women among participants continues to rise: less than 20% in 2022, reaching 24% in 2025. This progress is supported through the “celebrating women” initiative, translated into concrete actions: equal prize money since 2018, equal media coverage, hygiene kits and dedicated changing areas at every aid station, and dedicated exchange spaces before the event to reassure and strengthen the women’s community.
The Paths to Parenthood Policy deployed across the UTMB World Series allows athletes affected by pregnancy or adoption to defer registration or receive reimbursement with priority access for a future edition.
The Adaptive Athlete policy allows athletes living with visible or invisible disabilities to compete alongside a guide at no additional cost, with simplified qualification requirements and dedicated arrangements at starts and aid stations. The Adaptive Team, launched in 2024, brings together athletes from different countries and life experiences. In 2025, 37 para-athletes benefited from the policy, including 14 Adaptive Team athletes.
A new initiative introduced in 2025 pairs each Adaptive Team athlete with a volunteer elite runner through a unique mentoring program. This partnership goes beyond coaching, it creates a human and sporting relationship extending all the way to the start line.
Nearly 1,000 children participated in one of the seven Mini UTMB races around Mont-Blanc in 2025 (Chamonix, Courmayeur, Martigny, Les Contamines, Trient).
Open to children aged 3 to 13, these races are neither timed nor ranked. The focus is enjoyment, discovery, and the love of effort. At age 14, teenagers can continue the experience through the YCC.
2,600 volunteers help bring the event to life every year. The organization is committed to the quality of their experience through dedicated spaces, meals, qualifying training programs, including two annual ESO medical training sessions for nurses, doctors, and rescue teams, and dedicated recognition moments.
In Vallorcine, the local festival committee brings together around a dozen associations, with six to seven actively involved in food and beverage operations during the three days of racing. Revenue generated represents between 50% and 60% of their annual budget, reaching 80% in 2025. These resources help reduce dependence on municipal subsidies and optimize local public budgets.
HOKA UTMB® Mont-Blanc transforms the passion for trail running into direct support for the nonprofit sector. During the 2025 edition, €234,991 was allocated to local projects. Between 2014 and 2023, more than €3 million was raised in support of approximately 37 associations.
Examples of supported organizations include:
- Access Mont-Blanc (Chamonix): adapted equipment (joëlettes and specialized bikes) to make the mountains accessible to people living with physical disabilities.
- En Passant par la Montagne (Servoz): social inclusion and mountain access for vulnerable communities.
- Sport et Handicap Martigny (Valais): access to sport for people living with intellectual disabilities.
- ARFEC (Valais): support for families of children with cancer.
- Fondation Communautaire du Val d'Aoste: extracurricular projects for socially vulnerable youth.
- Banque Alimentaire de Haute-Savoie: regional food aid support..
- Arve Réfugiés (Sallanches): material support for young migrants in the valley.
- SEBIO: support for families of rescue workers who lost their lives during operations.
HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc generates nearly €45 million each year in direct, indirect, and induced economic impact across the Espace Mont-Blanc region through accommodation, restaurants, retail, transportation, and services. For every €1 invested by local authorities, the event generates between €40 and €45 in local economic benefits.
The average stay length for runners and companions reaches nearly six nights, supporting longer stays distributed across the entire cross-border region.
The international reach of the event contributes to the establishment of outdoor industry companies in Haute-Savoie and strengthens a local innovation ecosystem.
UTMB Group currently employs nearly 100 full-time equivalent staff between Chamonix and Annecy and contributes to sustainable economic activity year-round.
Trail running is establishing itself as a lasting pillar of four-season attractiveness for mountain regions.
