UTMB 2025: The Top 5 PR Trends Shaping the Global Trail Running Industry

There are few places in the world where grit, glamour, and global running brands collide quite like Chamonix in late August. The UTMB – or the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, for the uninitiated – has evolved far beyond its not so humble roots as a grueling ultramarathon.

Now, the six-day long event is where the world’s top trail running and outdoor brands assemble not just to sell products, but to tell brand stories and narratives. Picture the Super Bowl for trail running, but swap stadium lights for mountain peaks, and ad breaks for alpine villages pulsing with athletes, influencers, and adventurers alike.

For sports marketers, though, UTMB has quietly become one of the most fascinating stages in the world. What happens in Chamonix doesn’t stay in Chamonix anymore, in 2025 it cascades and transcends across social feeds, product launches, and marketing playbooks for months and years after the finish line closes. Whether you’re selling trail shoes, wearables, or lifestyle experiences; UTMB offers something rare and almost totally unique in this day and age: a captive, global audience and fully engaged community that doesn’t just consume brands, but lives them.

After all, this isn’t just another consumer or trade show, it’s a masterclass in modern branding (just one held at around 4,000 feet). Here are our top five marketing trends to watch out for this year as the world’s best runners, and savviest brands, descend on the idyllic French Alps.

1. Brands Will Focus on Creating Experiences, Not Just Selling Products

At UTMB, pretty booths and big bright banners don’t cut it anymore. Brands are designing full-scale experiences that immerse visitors in their world. Think recovery lounges that double as wellness retreats, test zones where gear trials turn into social moments, and hosted runs that connect consumers directly with brand ambassadors.

HOKA, for instance, is known for staging highly curated recovery lounges and immersive brand zones – far beyond the traditional expo booth. These zones serve as wellness hubs and social spaces, promoting brand storytelling and shareable social moments rather than just product displays.

For marketers, the lesson is clear. Physical presence isn’t about visibility alone. It’s about ‘stop/ stare/ share’ content; creating meaningful, memorable moments that naturally fuel social sharing.

If your activation isn’t drawing smartphones within minutes, your experience needs a rethink.

2. Building Communities Will Outperform Traditional Sales Pitches

Smart brands at UTMB won’t just push products. They’ll build tribes. Expect to see intimate ambassador meetups, local trail runs, and invitation-only gatherings that reward loyalty.

Several brands have hosted invitation‑only local trail runs, intimate ambassador meet‑ups, and post‑race socials during UTMB week, focusing on building loyalty within grassroots communities rather than pitching retail directly.

Because at UTMB, runners aren’t only customers, they are brand advocates in the making. Brands that create spaces for connection, rather than focusing solely on sales, will build long-term loyalty that extends far beyond race week.

3. Content Creation Will Be a Key Part of Brand Strategy

In 2025, every UTMB attendee is a potential content creator. The most forward-thinking brands will help them produce better content, not just be part of it. Expect to see branded photo zones with picture perfect Mont Blanc views, video stations designed for social media clips, and subtle product placements where attendees least expect them.

The goal is simple: make it easy for visitors to create and share, and your brand becomes part of thousands of personal stories. At UTMB, your audience is your media channel.

4. Technology Brands Will Take Center Stage

This year, expect a wave of launches and demos from wearables, sports tech, and fabric innovators. Rather than focusing on the product specs, brands will tell human-centered stories about how their technology helps runners achieve their personal bests.

The key marketing move here is narrative. Tech isn’t positioned as equipment, but as a partner in success. Brands that focus on personal storytelling alongside product performance will stand out.

5. Sustainability Will Be a Minimum Expectation, Not a USP

Sustainability messaging has evolved at UTMB. It’s no longer a differentiator, it’s the bare minimum – a hygiene factor.

Brands not addressing sustainability risks looking outdated. Expect visible efforts like zero-waste activations, upcycled product lines, and honest reporting of environmental impact.

UTMB itself has set the bar for this one with its UTMB For The Planet strategy, which includes 40 sustainability initiatives across its World Series events: local sourcing of food, community-led cultural activations, and travel incentives to runners who arrive via low‑carbon means.

UTMB is no longer just a race. It’s one of the most interesting marketing arenas on the planet right now. From how brands tell their stories, to how they build relationships and engage with their consumers, what happens in Chamonix this August will undoubtedly help shape the running and outdoor industry marketing well into 2026 (and far, far beyond.)

If you’re heading to UTMB this year, watch closely. Your next big marketing idea may well start on the side of a French mountain…

If you’re heading out to Chamonix and fancy a coffee (and a pastry or two!) with the team, we’d love to catch up. Drop us a line below – and let’s make it happen!