ITRA points, the UTMB Index and Running Stones: what are they and what do they do for you?

ITRA points, the UTMB Index and Running Stones are three separate systems, and each one answers a different question. ITRA points tell you how tough a race is. An index tells you how well you run. Running Stones give you extra chances in the draw for the big Finals in Chamonix. For an evening trail run in the Sonian Forest or your first race in the Ardennes, you don't need any of these numbers. ^[5]

They only start to matter when a registration asks for them, and then you want to read them correctly at a glance. On a race page they often sit right next to each other, with similar names and logos. Mix them up and you build a season around the wrong number. So here's the overview first, then each system on its own.

ITRA and UTMB: two separate organisations

First thing to know: ITRA and UTMB are not the same club. ITRA, the International Trail Running Association, is an association that represents and supports trail running worldwide. UTMB is at once the name of a race around Mont Blanc, of the event in Chamonix that race belongs to, and of the UTMB World Series, an international race circuit. Each of the two works with its own points and its own index. An ITRA score is therefore never a UTMB Index, even though both are about your performances. ^{[1] [9]}

How tough is a race? How to read ITRA points

ITRA Endurance Points are a label for the race, not for you. Every race rated by ITRA gets 0 to 6 points, calculated from distance and elevation gain. Everyone who finishes gets the same number, whether you come in first or last. Think of it as a stamp in your running logbook: it proves you completed a certain effort, not how fast you did it. ^[2]

Technical difficulty isn't in the points, and that matters out on the course. A route over wet rocks and roots can earn as many points as a smooth forest track with the same distance and elevation gain. So always look at the surface too. If an organiser asks for a minimum number of points, read which finishes and which period they accept, and keep your results. ^[2]

How well do you run? Race Score and Performance Index

The ITRA Race Score is a number for a single finish time, corrected for the course and the conditions. A slow time on a tough course doesn't have to mean a weak score. The ITRA Performance Index sums those scores up on a scale up to 1,000. It counts at most your five best race scores from the last 36 months. ^{[8] [3]}

An example makes the difference clear. In a race's results, your name shows 600, while your profile shows 580. The first number is about that one day, the second about your recent run of results. Don't add them up, and always compare your progress using the same kind of number.

How does the UTMB Index work?

The UTMB Index is the performance number of the UTMB circuit, split into four distance categories: 20K, 50K, 100K and 100M. Which category a race falls into depends on its km-effort. That is the distance plus one kilometre for every 100 metres of elevation you climb. That way climbs are converted into extra kilometres, just as a cyclist knows a hill costs more than the same distance on the flat. ^{[4] [5]}

The ETC in Courmayeur shows how this works out. That 15 km race with 1,200 m D+ (metres of elevation gain) counts as 27 km-effort and falls in the 20K category. Try working it out yourself too, for example for a fictional Ardennes trail of 30 km with 800 m D+: that is 38 km-effort. On paper, that race looks lighter than it is. ^{[10] [5]}

How long does your UTMB Index stay valid?

Your index has an expiry date. It is only valid if you have at least one result from the last 24 months. Results from the last 36 months count towards the calculation, with at most your five best. It is a weighted average: your best result weighs the most, and recent results count more than older ones. If you have fewer than five results, you still get an index, but with a small penalty. ^[4]

On top of an overall index, you also have an index per category, based on your best results in that category. Which one you need is up to the race. For the UTMB in 2026 it was a valid index in 100K or 100M. For the OCC in 2026, any category was enough. ^{[4] [11]}

Coming back after an injury or a few quiet years? Then your index may have expired, even though your old results are still online. One result within those 24 months makes it valid again. So if you're planning a big race a year from now, first put an achievable race in your calendar that counts towards the index. ^[4]

Running Stones: extra tickets, not a start place

You only earn Running Stones by finishing a UTMB World Series race. You get 1, 2, 3 or 4 Stones for 20K, 50K, 100K and 100M respectively, and double at a Major, a race with that status within the circuit. Ordinary races that only count towards the UTMB Index earn no Stones. Each Stone gives you one extra chance in the draw for the Finals in Chamonix: OCC, CCC and UTMB. ^[5]

Stones pile up and don't expire. To enter the draw, though, you must have earned at least one Stone in the past two years. An old stash only helps you if you've finished in the circuit recently. ^[6]

Say you run a 50K and a 100K in the circuit in one season, and neither is a Major. Then you have 5 Stones, so five extra tickets, but still no start place. For a faraway race, also count travel, accommodation and registration. So ask yourself one question: would I run this race even if I didn't get a start place in the draw? If the answer is yes, every Stone is a nice bonus. ^[5]

And what is the ITRA National League?

The ITRA National League is a ranking per country, not an experience point and not an entry requirement. If you complete three races in the same country in one calendar year that take part in the League, you are ranked on your three best race scores. If you like to spend a season close to home, it's a fun extra goal. ^[7]

What do they do for me as a beginner?

For your first trail races they don't do much for you, and that's good news. You pick a race by distance, terrain and how you get there, for example by train to a start in the Ardennes or a local race close to home. Finish an ITRA-rated race and you get that race's points, whether you ran fast or easy. Only when you aim for a race that asks for an index or Stones does it become worth keeping track of your numbers. ^[2]

Experienced runners get more out of them. An index that weighs recent results more heavily shows whether your form is rising or falling over the seasons. Use it as a mirror, not as a goal in itself: your best race is one that fits your experience and your legs. ^[4]

How to start this week

Look yourself up on ITRA and UTMB and see what's already listed under your name. Then pick one race you really want to run, with or without points. Load the organiser's GPX into RouteRadar, or pick a route from the library to train on, and run Pre-Flight: that way you see before you leave what's going on along the way, such as closures or hunting. No warning doesn't mean a path is open or safe, so follow the signs on site, tell someone which route you're running and call 112 in an emergency. That keeps it fun.

Field notes · Route library