46 hours and 30 minutes. That’s how long you have, watch in hand, to cover the UTMB’s 170 km and 10,000 m of elevation gain before the final cut-off falls in Chamonix. Between that number and the finish line, five cut-off checkpoints line the course \u2014 Les Contamines, Courmayeur, Champex-Lac, Vallorcine \u2014 and any one of them can end your race, bib and timing chip pulled on the spot, no matter how much you’ve got left in your legs. In this guide, you’ll find every UTMB 2026 cut-off time, the sections where runners lose the most buffer, and the pacing strategy to build a race plan that holds up without costing you a night’s sleep.Key takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A cut-off time is a deadline for reaching a specific checkpoint on the course. Cross it after that deadline \u2014 even by a minute \u2014 and you’re pulled from the race on the spot, bib and timing chip removed by volunteers. It has nothing to do with a voluntary DNF: it’s a call made for you by the rulebook, not by your legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the UTMB, these deadlines aren’t a buried line item in a 40-page rulebook. They shape the entire race, from your pacing choice at the start to your sleep strategy in the dead of night heading to Champex-Lac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Three requirements justify every cut-off time placed on the course:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In practice: a volunteer at that checkpoint removes your bib and timing chip the moment the deadline passes. You’re then classified “out of time” (OT) in the official results \u2014 a status distinct from “did not start” or a voluntary DNF. The organization then arranges transport back to the nearest life base or to Chamonix, depending on where you are on the course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s never a penalty: it’s a safety measure that applies to everyone, including highly experienced runners occasionally caught out by rough weather or a physical setback mid-race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The overall time limit to complete the UTMB is set at 46 hours and 30 minutes<\/strong>, watch in hand, from the starting gun in Chamonix to crossing that same finish line. Over roughly 170 km and 10,000 m of elevation gain (the exact route can be slightly adjusted each year depending on conditions), that works out to a theoretical average of about 3.6 km\/h including aid station stops \u2014 a pace that looks comfortable on paper but leaves very little room for error once fatigue, sleep deprivation, and the cold overnight hours are factored in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 2026 UTMB week runs from August 24 to 30 in Chamonix. The flagship race, the UTMB itself, traditionally starts on Friday in the late afternoon: kick-off is expected around 5:45 PM<\/strong>. Applying the 46h30 maximum, the final Chamonix cut-off lands around 4:15 PM on Sunday<\/strong>. Exact timings (start time to the minute, final aid station plan) are confirmed each year in the official regulations published by the organization<\/a> a few weeks before race day \u2014 worth checking before you lock in your race strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The UTMB course is marked by five major cut-off points \u2014 the ones that actually shape your race and that your strategy should be built around. Here’s the reference table, showing elapsed time since the start and an estimated clock time based on a 5:45 PM Friday start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
What is a UTMB cut-off time, and why does it exist?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Safety, logistics, and fairness: the 3 reasons cut-offs exist<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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What happens if you miss a cut-off time?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The UTMB time limit: 46h30, watch in hand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Start time and finish cut-off (2026 edition)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Every UTMB 2026 cut-off time, checkpoint by checkpoint<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The 5 major cut-off times<\/h3>\n\n\n\n