UTMB Announces 2025 American Major

Yesterday Brian Metzler for Outside broke the news that Hoka is UTMB’s new title sponsor for the full World Series and today UTMB is sending their press release with a few more tidbits of information on this new partnership:

Extending its partnership with the UTMB World Series through 2028, with the UTMB World Series, HOKA secures the Title Partner position for the circuit’s flagship events – including the Finals and Majors – which will now bear the HOKA name

This reads to me that not EVERY SINGLE EVENT in the series will be get the “Hoka” branding added, only the Finals, and Majors.

HOKA Chiang Mai Thailand by UTMB® (known previously as Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB), UTMB World Series Asia-Pacific Major

No reasoning is given on why the name is being changed, but the Major is getting a new name “Asia-Pacific” from the previously named “Asia”.

… and the 2025 Americas Major being HOKA Kodiak Ultra Marathons™ by UTMB®

This is big news. Last year the Major announcement had been delayed for months with UTMB finally taking the Majors back to Canyons – which is something that clearly was a fallback decision. It’s possible that UTMB had hoped to make Whistler their American Major, but due to “the kerfuffle” it decided it wouldn’t be the right move for the foreseeable future. I ran Kodiak last year and thought the location would make a great place for hosting a Major. It’ll be interesting to see if they will move the date for Kodiak for 2025 – currently it’s fairly close to the Finals.