The 2025 UTMB World Series is more exciting than ever with new destinations, the legendary challenges, and Suunto supporting athletes and fans alike. The trail running world is set for another epic year as the 2025 UTMB World Series expands to over 50 events across 28 countries and five continents, bringing the spirit of adventure and community to runners everywhere.  As an official partner of the UTMB World Series, Suunto is proud to be on-site at most of these events, supporting athletes, showcasing our latest products, and inviting the community to join shake-out runs in the lead-up to race day. Whether you're toeing the start line, cheering from home, or meeting us at the expo, we’ll be there to share the journey. From iconic landscapes to new territories, here’s what’s ahead in the 2025 season. Eleven new events The 2025 calendar introduces eleven exciting new races, expanding the series into new regions and offering runners even more ways to connect with the global trail scene. From windswept Cornish coastlines to the remote Chilean wilderness, these events bring fresh terrain and culture to the series.   Here’s the full list of new races joining the series: Europe Arc of Attrition (UK) – Jan 24–26Grand Raid Ventoux (France) – Apr 25–27Monte Rosa Walser Waeg (Italy) – Jul 18–20Kaçkar (Türkiye) – Sep 26–28Puglia (Italy) – Nov 7–9 Asia Ultra-Trail Xiamen (China) – Mar 1–2Ultra-Trail Great Wall (China) – May 16–18Kaga Spa Trail Endurance 100 (Japan) – Jun 19–22 South America Torrencial Chile – Jun 19–21Chihuahua (Mexico) – Oct 2–4Patagonia Bariloche (Argentina) – Nov 18–22 See the full 2025 UTMB World Series race calendar here. Four majors, four chances to double your Stones The UTMB World Series Majors are the pinnacle events of the season on each continent. These are the only races where athletes can double their Running Stones, increasing their chances of qualifying for the UTMB World Series Finals in Chamonix. Running Stones are the official currency of the UTMB World Series qualification system. Runners earn them by finishing UTMB World Series races. The more Running Stones a runner collects, the more chances they have in the lottery to enter the UTMB World Series Finals in Chamonix.  In 2025, the Majors are: Oceania Major: Ultra-Trail Australia – May 15–18 Europe Major: Val d'Aran – July 2–6 America Major: Kodiak Ultra Marathons  – October 10–11 Asia–Pacific Major: Chiang Mai Thailand – December 5–8 All roads lead to the finals in Chamonix The UTMB World Series season culminates in one extraordinary week in Chamonix, France, where the UTMB World Series Finals take place from August 25–31, 2025. The three Finals are: OCC (50K) CCC (100K) UTMB (100M) Alongside these Finals, other events like the TDS, MCC, ETC, YCC, and the legendary PTL will fill the week with unforgettable moments, camaraderie, and trail running excellence.  Watch the season unfold live Want to follow the drama as it happens? 12 races will be broadcast live in 2025 through UTMB Live. The UTMB Live season already started with the live streams of Chianti Ultra Trail and Tenerife Bluetrail in March. Up-coming livestreamed races include: Ultra-Trail Australia (Oceania Major) Val D'Aran Trail Verbier St-Bernard Monte Rosa Walserwaeg Eiger Ultra Trail  UTMB Mont Blanc (Finals) Wildstrubel Nice Côte d'Azur  Kodiak Ultra Marathons (America Major) Chiang Mai Thailand (Asia–Pacific Major) With coverage in multiple languages, drone footage, runner-mounted cams, expert commentary, live stats, and behind-the-scenes interviews, UTMB Live offers an immersive way to experience the races no matter where you are. Even when races aren’t livestreamed, you can still follow the action in real time on live.utmb.world. The platform provides GPS tracking and real-time leaderboards optimized for mobile so you can check in from anywhere. Suunto: Your partner on the trail In 2025, we’ll be right there with you at most of the events –  cheering you on at race expos, running side by side at shake-outs, and celebrating your finishes. See you on the trails! Read more Pace your race with Abby, Iris and Dakota Learn from your run with Hannes Namberger Ultra running mantras: Mental fuel for the long haul

The 11th annual Suunto Vertical Week was bigger than ever, bringing the community together for an epic challenge. Now, the results are in – see who climbed to the top! From March 3–9, we challenged you to rack up as many vertical meters as possible. Once again, we set out to determine which nation and which activity type climbed the most. The data from the Suunto app is in – here are the results! This year, you also had the chance to participate on Strava and support Protect Our Winters through the Vertical Week Strava Challenge. Our goal was to reach 1 million vertical meters, but you crushed that target – 121 times over! We pledged to donate €1 for every 100 meters climbed to Protect Our Winters Europe, up to a limit of 1 million meters, to support their vital work in fighting climate change. Your passion exceeded all expectations – amazing! Familiar names dominated the country rankings In the country rankings for the average ascent per session, the usual suspects – nations in Europe’s mountainous regions – once again came out on top. Austria reclaimed the number one spot from Italy, while Switzerland held onto third place. Average ascent per session by country Austria – 399m Italy – 392m Switzerland – 373m Slovenia – 346m Slovakia – 305m Spain – 273m France – 271m Germany – 230m Czech Republic – 221m Croatia – 214m When looking at total ascent from all participants, France secured the top spot, followed by Spain and Italy. Total ascent by country France Spain Italy Germany Austria Switzerland Poland USA Slovenia United Kingdom On an individual level, ten participants climbed over 14,000 meters in a week – averaging more than 2,000 meters per day. Well done! To make the top 10%, you needed to climb 2,200 meters – 75 meters less than last year but still 300 meters more than in 2023. For the top 3%, the benchmark was 3,958 meters – 104 meters less than last year but 368 meters more than two years ago. Ski tourers lead the way As in previous years, ski tourers dominated. Ski touring was the only activity type where the top three countries averaged over 1,000 meters per session. The overall ski touring average was an impressive 947 meters. However, when looking at the total number of big '1000-meter days', trail runners recorded the most this time. The only country with more than one win in the activity type rankings was South Africa: They dominated both the mountain biking and cycling rankings. Congrats! Ski touring   Austria – 1,044m Switzerland – 1,036m France – 1,005m (All ski touring activities average per session: 947m) Austria claimed the top spot, dethroning Slovakia, while France moved up to third. The 1000-meter mark remains a clear goal for skiers, with the entire top three surpassing it once again. Germany and Italy followed closely at 987 and 971 meters, respectively. Mountaineering   France – 968m Austria – 761m Italy – 750m (All mountaineering activities average per session: 633m) France took a strong category win in mountaineering, with the average ascent for all mountaineering activities remaining exactly the same as last year! (Edit: The top 3 was corrected on March 14 due to an error on our dashboard.) Trail running   Japan – 805m Italy – 652m Portugal – 592m (All trail running activities average per session: 444m) Japan continued to lead, though their average was lower than last year – perhaps due to deep powpow this winter? Mountain biking   South Africa – 490m Spain – 346m Slovenia – 297m (All moutain biking activities average per session: 368m) South Africa maintained its top position despite a drop in its average from 645m to 490m. Is the country getting ready for the upcoming Cape Epic or what do these strong performances in the MTB rankings tell? Gravel cycling Czech Republic – 524m Switzerland – 505m Spain – 422m (All gravel cycling activities average per session: 289m) A full reshuffling – last year’s top three didn’t return to the podium this year! Is this a sign of gravel cycling still evolving and growing as a sport? Cycling South Africa – 490m Spain – 346m Slovenia – 297m (All cycling activities average per session: 172m) Spain and Slovenia held their ranks, but South Africa stole the show with another category win. Lekker, bru! Trekking Spain – 628m Slovenia – 379m Italy – 340m (All trekking activities average per session: 334m) Trekking had a fresh top 3 with Spain clearly taking the win. Hiking Slovenia – 555m Portugal – 529m Spain – 496m (All hiking activities average per session: 235m) Slovenia delivered strong performances across multiple categories this year: number one in hiking but also top three in mountain biking, cycling, and trekking. Kapo dol! Cross-country skiing   Italy – 340m Czech Republic – 325m France – 322m (All XC skiing activities average per session: 227m) Unlike other activities, cross-country skiing was the only one where the average ascent increased from last year. Running   Norway – 123m Switzerland – 122m Belgium – 119m (All running activities average per session: 82m) This was the closest battle of all, with Norway edging out Switzerland by just half a meter! The average ascents in Suunto’s most popular activity type, running, are not huge but that makes the battles even more exciting! See you next year! Vertical Week 2025 proved once again that the Suunto community is unstoppable. Whether you were ski touring in the Alps, trail running in Japan, or cycling in South Africa, your dedication made this event one for the record books. See you next year – until then, keep climbing!

The trail running season is finally starting again! The first unmissable event is the Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB, taking place from March 20 to 23. The 2024 edition was a record-breaker, with over 3,600 participants from 72 nations and more than 10,000 visitors over the three thrilling days of races. © Jose Miguel Munoze What makes this event truly special is its unique setting: the Chianti hills — candidates to become a UNESCO heritage site — renowned for their stunning natural beauty, medieval villages, vineyards, and forests. The races unfold amidst this breathtaking landscape, once again attracting athletes from around the world. Our Suunto athletes are ready to give it their all, including Italians Andreas Reiterer — last year’s winner of the most challenging race, the Ultra Trail Chianti Castles (120 km and +5200 m of pure passion and talent) — alongside Davide Cheraz and Mattia Bertoncini. Also competing are Ugo Ferrari and Alban Berson (FR), Dominika Stelmach (POL), Tomas Farnik (Czech Republic), and Abby Hall and Ryan Montgomery (USA). Suunto will be at the event village with a booth, where our team will be happy to share the latest brand news and showcase our products. But that's not all — join the COMMUNITY RUN in collaboration with Näak! Experience the thrill of running 5 km through the Chianti hills and enjoy a snack at the end of your workout. Community Run Program — Saturday, March 22 14:30: Departure from the Suunto booth 5 km route through the Chianti hills 15:30 (approx.): Arrival at the Näak booth Post-run snack with Näak products and soft drinks Register now and don’t miss this unique opportunity to test one of our sports watches during the run! Sign up

Sharing the same passion for sports and the outdoors, UTMB® World Series and Suunto, known for their world-renowned GPS multisport watches and training tools, have announced a global partnership, that will see the two companies work together to contribute to the positive development of trail running and help individual runners reach their goals. Suunto have supported adventurers since 1936 and have been involved in trail running since its inception. Their legacy in the sport is enriched by a strong team of elite runners, including UTMB Mont Blanc winners Courtney Dauwalter, Francois D’Haene and Pau Capell.  Suunto watches feature award-winning design, industry-leading battery life, reliability, and purpose-built features for training and racing. As Official GPS Watch and Technical Partner of the UTMB World Series, Suunto will support runners in navigating the trails and achieving their dreams across the 41 UTMB World Series Events, by bringing its heritage and experience with GPS sports watches. Athletes with a Suunto Vertical or Suunto Race watch can download intuitive GPS maps in three different map styles with important landmarks, contour lines, water, paths and different sorts of terrain highlighted. Maps are available for each UTMB World Series Event, whether you are running the 100K CCC® (Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix) in the European Alps, the 50K Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB in California, the 100M Black River Peak race in the sugarcane fields for Mauritius by UTMB... or any other race of the circuit. Frédéric Lénart, UTMB Group CEO, said: “We are delighted to join forces with Suunto who has over 80 years’ experience in creating products that runners can rely on in the most extreme conditions. With Suunto becoming Technical Partner of the UTMB World Series, we will enable runners to live adventure that stays with them forever, helping them to take the first step and keep on moving.” Hannu Korpivaara, Suunto Brand and Marketing Director, said: “We firmly believe that collaboration empowers companies, communities, and individuals to evolve. It fosters relationship-building, innovation, and effective problem-solving. We are honored to partner with the UTMB World Series and to connect with all the runners out there. Together, we aim to contribute to the positive development of trail running and help individual runners reach their goals.” The 2024 UTMB World Series kicks off this month with the Tarawera Ultra-Trail New Zealand by UTMB from the 17-18 February. This inaugural event of the year welcomes trail runners of all abilities and promises unforgettable moments in the most stunning scenery of Rotorua. About UTMB® World Series UTMB® World Series is the world’s ultimate trail-running circuit that unites the sport’s biggest stars and passionate runners through the best, leading international events in the most stunning locations. Built on a passion for the mountains with sustainability at its heart, UTMB® World Series gives all trail runners the chance to experience the UTMB® adventure across the world, with events taking place across Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It is the only place where runners can begin their quest to Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc, France, where the prestigious UTMB® World Series Finals will be held. Launched in May 2021 through the collaboration between the UTMB Group and The IRONMAN Group, the UTMB World Series circuit brings together many of the best international trail-running events on the planet. For more information, visit https://utmb.world/. About UTMB Group Since the creation of Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc in 2003 by a group of passionate friends, UTMB Group has been the driving force behind the development of trail running. The Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc is the sports pinnacle event, and every year, 10,000 runners earn their place on the start line. UTMB Group also pioneered the LiveTrail® technology, an innovative digital service that supports the management of endurance races. Revered by hundreds of thousands of athletes, UTMB® has become a global, premium, and leading brand. In May 2021, UTMB Group partnered with The IRONMAN Group to launch the UTMB® World Series, now in its second year, which brings together many of the best international events on the planet to provide exclusive access to the sport’s pinnacle event, Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc. The UTMB® World Series is built on the founding principles of Dacia UTMB® Mont-Blanc: surpassing oneself; fair-play; respect for people and the environment; and solidarity. Find out more at https://utmb.world/. About Suunto We stand for adventure. Pioneering has been in our DNA since 1936, when Finnish orienteer Tuomas Vohlonen invented a more accurate and reliable compass. Today, Suunto is at the forefront of design and innovation for sports watches, dive computers, compasses and digital services used by adventurers and athletes around the world. Since 2022 we have conducted cradle to grave Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) for our new watch models to understand their environmental impact and to help us improve our ways of working. The remaining emissions we offset with Verified Carbon Units. We pride ourselves on the fact that Suunto products are not only robust, but also have an everyday aesthetic that reflects our Nordic identity. Suunto's headquarters and own factory are located in Vantaa, Finland. Find out more at apac.suunto.com

Have you tried Suunto ZoneSense yet? This article will help you get started with the breakthrough innovation in tracking real-time exercise intensity. In endurance training, finding the right workout intensity is key to getting the best results. Many athletes wonder if they’re training too hard or not hard enough. Heart rate zones have been used to estimate intensity, but they don’t account for changes from one day to another, across different activity types or during long workouts.  Now, Suunto ZoneSense offers a breakthrough in tracking real-time intensity. It uses heart rate variability (HRV) to give accurate insights, helping athletes optimize their performance like never before.  All Suunto users training with a heart rate belt can unlock ZoneSense intensity analysis through the Suunto app. For real-time data, ZoneSense is available on the latest Suunto watches – Suunto Vertical, Suunto Race, Suunto Race S, Suunto Ocean, and Suunto 9 Peak Pro.   Step 1: Learn how to get started with Suunto ZoneSense. All you need is a Suunto sports watch, a Suunto heart rate belt and the Suunto app on your phone.   Step 2: Learn how to use Suunto ZoneSense in real-time, during an activity. A great way to get started is by following ZoneSense during a long, easy endurance workout. Begin with a 10-minute warm-up that allows ZoneSense to establish your baseline for the day, then keep your effort in the green zone. Step 3: Learn how to view Suunto ZoneSense data in the Suunto app.  Suunto ZoneSense lets athletes take control of their training like never before. It uses heart rate variability (HRV) to show whether your workout effort is aerobic (low stress) or anaerobic (high stress) in real time. With ZoneSense, you can fine-tune your intensity during any activity—running, cycling, swimming, and even team sports—helping you make every session count. Say goodbye to guessing your effort level and hello to smarter, more effective training. Whether you’re building your aerobic base or pushing your limits with high-intensity intervals, ZoneSense is the key to unlocking your potential. It keeps your long runs in the optimal green zone, shows when you’ve hit your anaerobic threshold during intervals, and adapts seamlessly across different sports and conditions. By tracking real-world effort and avoiding overtraining, Suunto ZoneSense sets a new standard for athletes aiming to train with precision and perform at their best. Learn more about Suunto ZoneSense use cases here.

Exploring the outdoors is rewarding, but even experienced adventurers can get disoriented. Here’s expert advice from Lowland Rescue Search Dogs Sussex to help you stay safe. Venturing into the outdoors comes with a responsibility to yourself and your loved ones. By preparing thoroughly, equipping yourself with the right tools, and following expert advice, you can minimize risks and fully enjoy your time in nature. As the saying goes, it’s far better to be in a cozy pub wishing you were on the mountain than to be on the mountain wishing you were in the pub. With the following tips in mind, you can explore with confidence and care, knowing that you’ve done everything possible to stay safe. Adventure responsibly and cherish every moment in the wild – the world is waiting to be discovered! Timeless advice from experts Lowland Rescue Search Dogs Sussex, a volunteer charity specializing in search and rescue missions, emphasizes that preparation is key to staying safe. Their teams, which include highly trained search dogs, are frequently called upon to locate individuals who have wandered off course. While these canine heroes are incredibly skilled, their handlers often remind us that the best rescue is the one that isn’t needed. Their advice below aligns with a broader mission to educate outdoor enthusiasts on safety. From mastering navigation skills to understanding weather patterns, taking proactive measures can help prevent accidents and ensure your adventures remain enjoyable. See the Sussex Search Dogs in action. Suunto has long been a trusted companion for adventurers. Since the very beginning back in 1936 we have designed tools to help you stay on course, no matter where your journey takes you. In collaboration with organizations like Lowland Rescue Search Dogs Sussex, we want to emphasizes the importance of preparation and awareness in the outdoors. While the tools are indispensable, the knowledge you carry with you is just as crucial. Combining technology with foundational outdoor skills ensures you’re ready to tackle any challenge that comes your way. The importance of preparation Getting lost isn’t just inconvenient – it can be dangerous. Whether you’re hiking through woodland trails, navigating rolling hills, or exploring in the moountains, preparation is your best defense. By taking a few simple steps before heading out, you can significantly reduce the risk of losing your way. Check the weather: Always review the forecast before your trip. Weather can change quickly, even in lowland areas, so be ready for sudden shifts. Learn navigation basics: Even if you rely on modern GPS devices, having a solid understanding of map reading and compass use is invaluable. These skills can be life-saving when technology fails. Pack smart: Bring essential items such as appropriate clothing, a first aid kit, food, water, a whistle, and a flashlight. These basics can make a huge difference in an emergency. Share your plans: Always inform someone you trust about your intended route and expected return time. This simple step ensures someone will know to raise the alarm if needed. Also share the planed route with the group. This way you all have the same route available in your Suunto GPS watches. What to do if you get lost Even with the best preparation, unforeseen situations can happen. As a backup, you can use your Suunto to navigate back to your starting point or to follow the path you have taken so far. Also, if you have mobile connection, you can use Suunto app on your phone to plan a route starting in your current location and sync it to your watch.  If none of that helps and you simply have no idea where you are and where to go, here’s what you should do: Stay calm and stay put: Panic only makes matters worse. Remaining in one place increases your chances of being found. Use your phone: If you have a mobile signal, call for help immediately. Provide rescuers with as much information as possible, including landmarks, sounds, or your last known location. Make yourself visible: Use bright clothing or gear to create signals that rescuers can spot from a distance. If you have a whistle, blow it regularly to attract attention. Seek shelter: Protect yourself from the elements by finding or creating shelter. This is especially critical in cold, wet, or windy conditions. Conserve energy: Avoid unnecessary movement, stay hydrated, and keep warm while you wait for help.