UTMB World Series Adds Two More U.S. Races

Two more United States ultra trail-running race have been added to the new UTMB World Series that will launch in 2022. The announcement comes along with several other international races set for Croatia and Slovenia, among other destinations, as part of a series that is now up to 24 races around the world.

The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB in California will take runners back to the birthplace of mountain ultras along the historic Western States Trail. And the Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB in Utah, considered one of the toughest 50km races in the country, will also be part of the new circuit.

Earlier this year, organizers announced that the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains will be held June 25–26 as part of the series. It is the oldest 100-mile race on the world and takes runners through high mountains and deep canyons with more than 18,000 feet of climbing and 23,000 feet of descent.

Another U.S. race is expected to be added and will count as the 2022–2023 U.S. Major, with details to be confirmed in the coming months. It will take place at the beginning of 2023. That race will form part of the qualification for the first UTMB World Series Finals to be held in Chamonix, France, in August 2023.

The UTMB World Series Majors will offer additional qualification chances for the UTMB World Series Finals with the top 10 male and top 10 female runners in each of the 50K, 100K and 100M categories automatically winning their place at the 2023 finals start line.

On April 23, 2022, Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB will be staged in Auburn, California, featuring difficult sections of the iconic Western States Trail covering up to 15,000 feet of elevation through the infamous canyons. That race will feature races in three distances: 100km, 50km and 25km.

The Speedgoat Mountain Races by UTMB will be held on the slopes of the Snowbird ski resort. The race founded by Karl Meltzer has been held for 15 years in Utah and is considered one of the toughest 50K contests in the United States. Racers compete in 13km, 28km and 50km with almost 12,000 feet of vertical climb.