How to Train for the UTMB World Series Finals — OCC, CCC & UTMB

UTMB Mont-Blanc Finals week in Chamonix is the pinnacle of the UTMB World Series — where thousands of qualifiers from events around the world converge for the three category Finals. Whether you're targeting the OCC, CCC, or UTMB itself, the pathway to the start line is the same: earn your Running Stones, build your UTMB Index, and prepare specifically for what each race demands.

This guide covers everything you need to know to qualify and train for the three Finals races.

The Three UTMB Finals — An Overview

Each Finals race is the culminating event in its UTMB World Series category — the race every qualifier has been working towards all year. All three pass through dramatic Alpine terrain across France, Italy, and Switzerland: technical trails, high mountain passes, and conditions that can change rapidly.

How the UTMB World Series Works

The UTMB World Series is a global network of qualifying races. Complete a certified race anywhere in the world, earn Running Stones, build your UTMB Index — and use those assets to enter the Finals lottery for your target race.

Running Stones are earned by completing UTMB Index-certified races. Each qualifying race awards 1, 2, or 3 stones depending on the race category. When you enter the Finals lottery, you wager your accumulated stones. Win the draw and your stones reset to zero. Lose the draw and you keep your stones — so your chances improve each year you're unsuccessful. You do not earn Running Stones from the Finals races themselves.

The UTMB Index is a performance score based on your finish time relative to the field in certified races. It determines entry priority within the lottery and must match your target category: a 50K index for OCC, a 100K index for CCC, and a 100M index for UTMB. The higher your index, the stronger your lottery position — so it's worth racing deliberately in the right category, not just any certified event.

The Qualification Pathway — Step by Step

• Step 1: Register on the UTMB World Series platform and create your runner profile.
• Step 2: Complete at least one UTMB Index-certified race in your target category (50K for OCC, 100K for CCC, 100M for UTMB) to establish your index.
• Step 3: Accumulate Running Stones across one or more qualifying races. You need a minimum number of stones to enter the Finals lottery — check the current requirements on the UTMB website, as these can change year to year.
• Step 4: Enter the lottery during the registration window (typically autumn, for the following year's Finals). Wager your stones for your chosen race.
• Step 5: If selected, confirm your entry and begin your targeted preparation. If not selected, your stones roll over with an additional stone added — improving your chances for the following year.

Race-Specific Demands

OCC (57km / +3,500m) — The Perfect Finals Introduction

The OCC runs from Orsières in Switzerland to Chamonix, finishing in the heart of the festival. It's the shortest of the three Finals and the most accessible for runners stepping up from marathon or trail racing backgrounds — but don't mistake accessible for easy. The terrain is relentlessly technical, the 3,500m of ascent demands specific climbing strength, and racing at altitude in summer conditions adds heat and fatigue that flat training doesn't prepare you for.

Key demands: consistent aerobic capacity over 10–14 hours, technical downhill running on rocky alpine terrain, heat management in the early miles, and strong climbing legs. Many runners can complete the OCC on a well-developed trail marathon base — but those who thrive have done real mountain training, not just long flat runs.

CCC (101km / +6,050m) — The Mid-Distance Mountain Test

The CCC runs from Courmayeur in Italy via Champex-Lac in Switzerland and into Chamonix — a traversal of three countries across 101km and over 6,000m of climbing. Most runners will be on course for 20–26 hours, which introduces night running, fuelling complexity, and the mental challenge of keeping moving when exhausted.

Key demands: the ability to run well into a second night, strong gut training for 20+ hours of continuous fuelling, technical descending on Alpine terrain, and the mental resilience to manage low points without losing pace or decision-making quality. The step up from OCC to CCC is significant — treat it as a different race category, not simply a longer version of the same event.

UTMB (174km / +9,900m) — The World's Most Famous Ultra

The UTMB is 174km around the Mont-Blanc massif, crossing France, Italy, and Switzerland, with nearly 10,000m of climbing and a 46h45m cutoff. Most finishers are on course for 25–45 hours. It is, quite simply, one of the most demanding ultra trail races on the planet — and finishing it requires every skill the sport demands.

Key demands: years of progressive ultra running experience, sleep deprivation management (a planned 10–20 minute sleep is often a net positive for most runners), gut training capable of sustaining fuelling for up to two full days, technical mountain skills across all terrain types and all hours of the day and night, and the psychological resources to keep making good decisions when everything hurts and everything is dark. The UTMB is not a race to attempt without multiple 100-mile or multi-day finishes in your history.

Training Framework — Four Phases

The training structure for all three Finals races follows the same four-phase logic — adjusted in volume and specificity based on the target distance.

Phase 1 — Base (12–20 weeks): Consistent aerobic volume at easy effort. Long runs building progressively. Two S&C sessions per week. No race-pace work yet — just building the engine and the structural resilience to handle the harder phases ahead. See our strength and conditioning guide for the specific exercises that matter most for mountain running.

Phase 2 — Build (8–12 weeks): Introduce race-specific climbing and descending. Vertical gain becomes a weekly training target, not an afterthought. Back-to-back long runs on consecutive days (e.g. 3 hours Saturday, 2 hours Sunday) develop the fatigue resistance that mountain races demand. Heart rate on climbs should be monitored — the goal is sustainable, not heroic.

Phase 3 — Race Specific (6–8 weeks): Simulated race conditions. Run at race pace and effort on race-terrain equivalent. Night running sessions for CCC and UTMB. Gut training at race-day carbohydrate targets. Practice with your full kit — poles, vest, mandatory gear — so nothing is unfamiliar on race day.

Phase 4 — Taper (2–3 weeks): Reduce volume, maintain intensity. The body is adapting to the training load you've built — this phase is when that adaptation consolidates. Resist the urge to do extra sessions "just in case." Arrive fresh.

Key Training Sessions for Alpine Finals Preparation

• Vertical kilometres: Short, steep efforts focused on climbing efficiency — power hiking technique, cadence, arm drive. These build the specific quad and glute strength that long Alpine ascents demand.
• Technical descent runs: Dedicated sessions on rocky, rooted, or loose terrain. Descending skill is often what separates strong finishers from those who blow up their quads on the early downhills.
• Back-to-back long runs: Two consecutive long runs to develop fatigue resistance — the single most important stimulus for CCC and UTMB preparation.
• Night running: For CCC and UTMB, include at least 4–6 sessions of running in the dark before race day. Headtorch management, pace calibration at night, and the psychological comfort of moving well in darkness are all trainable.

Nutrition and Fuelling for UTMB Finals Races

Aid stations at UTMB Finals races are exceptionally well stocked — soup, pasta, bread, cheese, fruit, sweet and savoury options. But the distance between some stations can be long, and your gut needs to be trained for sustained effort before race day.

Target 60–90g of carbohydrate per hour for running pace, 40–60g/hr for power hiking sections. Train your gut across your long runs with increasing CHO intake over the build phase — your digestive system adapts, and what causes nausea at week four will feel normal by week twelve. For UTMB, real food tolerance becomes increasingly important as gel palatability declines over many hours. See our ultra fuelling guide and real food vs gels article for the full breakdown.

Race Strategy

• Start conservatively. The atmosphere in Chamonix at the UTMB start line is electric and will make you want to run harder than you should. Resist. The runners who go out at 80% of what feels comfortable in the first 20km almost always finish stronger than those who chase the crowd.
• Manage climbs by heart rate or effort, not pace. Grade Adjusted Pace tools and effort perception matter more than speed on the ascents. See our ultra pacing guide for how to calibrate this.
• Treat aid stations as pit stops. Know what you need before you arrive. Refuel, assess, and move — avoid sitting down for extended periods unless you genuinely need recovery time.
• Sleep for UTMB: A planned 10–20 minute sleep is almost always better than staggering through the night in a dangerous state of fatigue. Know your sleep deprivation warning signs and have a plan before you need it.
• Finish what you started. The back half of all three Finals races is where races are won and lost. Execute your plan. Then recover properly — the training load and race stress of a Finals event takes longer to clear than most runners expect.