UTMB Adjusts Start Time and Course Due to Weather Concerns — image accompanying Marathon Handbook's report. Image accompanying Marathon Handbook’s report; reduced and presented for news commentary with the attributed report. View the complete source report.
The UTMB race will start two hours later on Friday due to a thunderstorm risk. The start time is now 7:45 p.m. from Chamonix. The Pyramides Calcaires, a difficult section, is also removed from the course.
The delay affects the entire race schedule, moving aid stations and cutoff times back. The last runners will finish at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. The change aims to ensure runner safety during the storm. Read more culture coverage.
The removed section, Pyramides Calcaires, was previously skipped in 2025 and 2017 due to weather. This change reduces the race distance and climbing by about 2K and 200 meters. Related: Jeff Browning Suffers Heart Attack During UTMB’s TDS Race.
This original Runner World brief is based on reporting from Marathon Handbook. Visit the source for its complete reporting, context and any later corrections.
Reader questions
Questions about this report
What should runners know about UTMB Adjusts Start Time and Course Due to Weather Concerns?
The UTMB race start is delayed by two hours and a challenging section is removed. The UTMB race will start two hours later on Friday due to a thunderstorm risk. The start time is now 7:45 p.m. from Chamonix. The Pyramides Calcaires, a difficult section, is also removed from the course.
When did Runner World publish this culture brief?
Runner World published this brief on August 29, 2026. The underlying Marathon Handbook report was dated August 28, 2026.
Where can readers find the complete original report?
This summary is based on reporting from Marathon Handbook. The attributed source link in the article leads to the publisher’s complete report.
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