Chamonix’s New Mayor Announces Changes to UTMB

Alexis Danjon for L’Equipe (auto-translated):

Elected mayor of Chamonix in the spring, François-Xavier Laffin reveals the changes he will make from the next edition of the UTMB, organized from August 24 to 30, but also the developments he wishes to implement for the next editions in order to renew the relationship between the Chamoniards and this event.

The UTMB Finals have grown too big for the valley and many people living there feel and changes need to happen for the event to continue. Some of the proposed changes: no nighttime arrivals of runners for example seem ridiculous, but others like ensuring access of locals to their own garages seem ridiculous that this has gone even so far to become an issue.

UTMB has been a huge economic boon for the valley and this will be a challenging conversation – several of them, over many months I presume – to ensure that all parties can live with these new rules proposed by the new political leader. And UTMB is not blindsided by this. Many of the changes that have been announced for this year (stricter media access, tighter control on unaffiliated brand activations, course changes for OCC, and the red light headlamps) can be explained by UTMB trying to appease the locals and prepare for further headwinds.

François-Xavier Laffin does not mince words:

We cannot continue to see our mountain disintegrate, melt, change, the seracs and glaciers collapse, and remain with our arms crossed. You have to be responsible. Especially since our valley is constrained, it does not have the capacity to accommodate a hundred thousand people.

I am very curious how this UTMB week compares with, for example, a skiing World Cup coming to the Mont-Blanc valley, for example. The organizational machines are essentially the same. I wonder how this affects the locals in the winter, compared to a summer event like UTMB.

It also will be interesting to see how these changes will be seen by the larger trail running community, and media. (For example the red light headlamps were just seen as a money grab by UTMB). And what effect this might have on how trail running continues its growth trajectory going forward. I am sure many of the valleys in the Alps which are seeing these massive events arrive are looking to Chamonix on how to manage them.