The Race that Changed Running: The Inside Story of the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc

Twenty years ago, a small band a runners came up with an idea: hold a race around the Alps’ highest peak, covering more than 100 miles through Italy, France and Switzerland. They expected a couple of crazy souls. Instead more than 700 runners showed up. Running used to be changed endlessly.

This is the fantastic story of how Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) became one of the crucial world’s great sporting events whilst it set new limits of human endurance. This is a story of how world’s best runners, in the historic home of mountain adventures, brought about a revolution in running that has been felt across the globe.

For this unbiased and inside look at the past, present and future of the UTMB, writer and trail runner Doug Mayer, used to be given unfettered access to the UTMB archives, and spoke to more than 100 people, from race organizers and winners, to experts and scientists, to those that love the UTMB, and even those who hate it. The result is a book with more than 200 photos, maps and infographics that may be the most comprehensive perspective into trail running’s greatest race.