UTMB Group Announces Details of New HOKA Prize Purse

Press Release / 25.06.2024

UTMB Group has announced the HOKA Prize Purse.

As part of its ongoing commitment to the sport, UTMB Group is proud to provide enhanced support to elite trail runners via the new HOKA Prize Purse. This new investment will support all athletes who juggle demanding training regimes, along with professional careers.

The HOKA Prize Purse will help facilitate athlete's journeys towards earning a sustainable livelihood and aims to elevate the rewards and recognition available to all competitors.

The increase in prize money allocation reflects global UTMB Group's unwavering commitment to gender equality and parity across distances:

• Gender Parity: UTMB® World Series continues to be committed to ensuring gender parity, which is reflected in the distribution of prize money. Both male and female athletes will receive equal amounts on both Finals and Majors.
• Equal Recognition: UTMB®, the iconic original 171km race with 10,000m of elevation gain, now serving as the Final for the 100M category, offers a higher prize money compared to other finals, with male and female winners each receiving 20,000 euros. UTMB World Series recognizes the outstanding performances of every athlete, regardless of the distance they cover. Crossing the finish line of a 50K, a 100K, or a 100M showcases athletes with different skill sets, yet united by the same remarkable perseverance. UTMB World Series aims to commend every athlete on an equal footing, acknowledging that even shorter distances require the same level of dedication and challenge

Set to be introduced at UTMB World Series, the new HOKA Prize Purse will provide increased prize money for both the Majors and Finals of the circuit:

• HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB®, UTMB World Series European Major (Spain - 3-7 July 2024)
• HOKA UTMB® Mont-Blanc, UTMB World Series Finals (France, Italy, Switzerland, 26 August to 1 September 2024)
• HOKA Chiang Mai Thailand by UTMB®, UTMB World Series Asia-Pacific Major (Thailand - 6-8 December 2024)
• HOKA Kodiak Ultra Marathons™ by UTMB®, 2025 UTMB World Series Americas Major.

Jim Walmsley, HOKA Professional Athlete:

“It's great to see UTMB continue to take steps forward in international trail running to bring together consolidated competition with a bigger prize purse. An increase at UTMB Finals, as well as UTMB World Series majors, gives a lot of incentive for current professionals to prioritize these races and helps inspire the next generation of runners to pursue a career in trail running.”

Francesco Puppi, Pro Trail Runners Association (PTRA) Board has explained:

“We're happy that the UTMB Group decided to consult the PTRA regarding the new prize money structure for UTMB World Series Finals and Majors. This represents an important step forward in the professionalization of the sport and the recognition of the elite athletes, for the prestige, quality and value they bring to UTMB World Series events.”

Frédéric Lénart, CEO UTMB Group has added:

“Increasing prize money is of great significance to us, to our sport; it's our obligation to the communities. We are proud to support athletes, both women and men, in fully embracing their passion and making a livelihood out of it.”