Switzerland · Valais
Ultra Tour Monte Rosa
Distance
170 km
Date
September 2, 2026
Entry fee
340 CHF
€ / km
€2.18
Aosta Valley scale without the crowds: high passes, huge vert, and a brutally beautiful Monterosa traverse.
Elevation and Terrain
Total Meters
11600m
D+/KM
68.24m/km
For context, the Tor des Géants 330 loop has 73 D+/km.
Avg Uphill Gradient
16.1%
Avg Downhill Gradient
-15.4%
Uphill gradient distribution
Route Profile
Analysed 2026-05-02Terrain breakdown
Terrain
Climbs
Top climbs
13.8 km · 1716 m gain
starts km 37 · avg 12.4% · max 79.1%
6.8 km · 1529 m gain
starts km 127 · avg 22.4% · max 69.2%
11.8 km · 1507 m gain
starts km 100 · avg 12.8% · max 52.4%
Top descents
13.1 km · 1480 m drop
starts km 111 · avg -11.3% · max -52.8%
6.7 km · 1243 m drop
starts km 93 · avg -18.5% · max -93.0%
7.5 km · 1056 m drop
starts km 73 · avg -14.0% · max -66.9%
The Ultra Tour Monte Rosa (UTMR) is a 170 km trail race held in early September in the Alps. The course is a race of almost Sisyphean proportions, requiring you to circumnavigate the largest massif in the Alps, the Monte Rosa.
By many accounts, this is the hardest miler in the Alps - the course gains 11,600 m over 170 km (68.2 m/km), with incredible technicality.
Culturally, and historically, the course is a marvel, starting and finishing in Grächen and climbing through Switzerland and Italy — crossing German-speaking Valais, Arpitan-speaking Aosta Valley, and Walser Piedmont.
To check our race page, a few stats to try to wrap your head around - the biggest climb rising 1,716 m is the 13th largest single ascent of 385 European trail distances tracked. Look at the uphill gradient distribution - 22.26 km of uphill terrain exceeds 20% gradient. The distance-weighted average uphill gradient of 16%+ is the 43rd steepest of 390 European distances — steeper on uphills than 88% of European trail races.
For a race of this epic proportion, an entry cost of CHF 340 (~€2.18/km) seems reasonable, there is tremendous work and execution here. Five-time UTMB winner Lizzie Hawker organizes the race. To qualify, organizers review mountain experience during pre-registration before allowing payment. The UTMR has run in select years since 2017; 135 runners finished the 2025 edition, with the route being cut short by 20km due to safety concerns after a rockfall. Truly, the UTMR suits elite-experienced alpine runners seeking a technically brutal traverse that is described as unequivocally harder than UTMB, while also intimate amongst runners.
How hard is the Ultra Tour Monte Rosa? (Course profile, climbs, and GPX data)
Q: How hard is the Ultra Tour Monte Rosa 170km? A: Exceptionally hard — harder than the UTMB on every comparable data metric. The UTMR covers 170km with 11,600m of elevation gain (68.2m per km). The biggest climb rises 1,716m — the 13th largest single ascent of 385 European trail distances tracked. The biggest descent drops 1,480m — the 24th largest. 22.26km of uphill terrain exceeds 20% gradient. The distance-weighted average uphill gradient of 16.11% ranks 43rd of 390 European distances — steeper on uphills than 88% of European trail races. Add a glacier crossing, mandatory technical gear, and weather that can drop to near-freezing with lightning in September: runners consistently describe it as one of the hardest races in Europe.
Why do runners say UTMR is harder than UTMB — and does the data agree?
Q: Is the Ultra Tour Monte Rosa harder than UTMB? A: By DTR data, yes — on every metric. The UTMR has more elevation gain per km (68.2m/km, rank 49 vs UTMB's 56.9m/km, rank 119), a steeper average uphill gradient (16.11% rank 43 vs UTMB's 13.16% rank 155), a bigger single climb (1,716m rank 13 vs UTMB's 1,556m rank 23), and a bigger single descent (1,480m rank 24 vs UTMB's 1,258m rank 63). One runner described it as 'by far the hardest race I've ever done, much harder than UTMB.' [Race Report: educatedguesswork.org] The data agrees.
Who is Lizzie Hawker — and why did she create the Ultra Tour Monte Rosa?
Q: Who is Lizzie Hawker — and why did she create the UTMR? A: Lizzie Hawker is a five-time UTMB champion and one of the most accomplished ultra runners of her generation. She organized the Ultra Tour Monte Rosa as a community-driven, volunteer-led event — the race evolved from her deep connection to the Monte Rosa region. The 2025 edition marked the 10th anniversary of UTMR. The race is not commercially driven; the organizing team runs it because they love it. The volunteer ethos shapes the race's culture: intimate, self-reliant, technically demanding. [Official: ultratourmonterosa.com]
How do you register for the UTMR — and what experience do you need?
Q: How do you register for the Ultra Tour Monte Rosa? A: The UTMR uses a pre-registration vetting system — not a lottery and not open registration. Applicants submit their mountain running experience; organizers review it before allowing payment. The 2026 pre-registration is open until July 22, 2026, with late registration possible until August 15 if places remain. Entry fee is CHF 340 (~€2.18/km). Applications can be rejected for insufficient experience. Check ultratourmonterosa.com for requirements and the 2026 registration portal at registration.utmr.ch.
Race files
Logistics
Nearest airport
Geneva (GVA) / Milan Malpensa (MXP) / Zürich (ZRH)
Notes
Start: ~2.0–3.5 hrs (GVA) or ~2.0–3.0 hrs (MXP) or ~3.0–4.5 hrs (ZRH) to Valais start towns near Monte Rosa (Grächen or Zermatt valley; TODO: verify HQ) / Public transport: good Swiss rail to Visp then bus; last-mile depends on village / Accommodation: limited and pricey in mountain villages; book early (August)
FAR
It’ll possibly take 3+ hours from the closest large airport to arrive. Plan your adventure accordingly, take an extra day for those after-race beers or Curranz.
