UTMB to Shrink Expo for 2027

Not a surprise to hear this after all this mayor kerfuffle over the past few weeks. Word is that the expo, or Ultra-Trail® Village, which had grown in size over the past few years, will be reduced over 60% for 2027.

This will change a lot. And while it’s the right and first of possibly several steps to mitigate the increased pressure on the Chamonix Valley it will also dramatically increase the challenges for brands to have a presence during UTMB week. Will this lead to more ambushing events? Or an alternate expo in a nearby town – the indie expo if you will, since the reduced official village will clearly increase their fees and thus force smaller indie brands to forgo their booth altogether? Maybe brands will abandon the week altogether as a platform to showcase their products. And I purposely wrote “showcase” as sales at the expo will be disallowed going forward as well. With all these changes at least they are letting the brands and vendors know early enough so that alternate plans can be made. Maybe we will see even more vending machines at nearby refugios next year?