The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc is a single-stage mountain ultramarathon first held in 2003. It is a race of the Ultra-Trail World Tour, it takes place once a year on either the last weekend in August or the first weekend of September in the Alps, follows the route of the Tour du Mont Blanc through France and Switzerland. It has a distance of 171 kilometres, a total elevation gain of around 10,040 metres, it is regarded as one of the most difficult foot races in the world, one of the largest with more than 2,500 starters. It is one race during a week-long festival based around Chamonix in France; the races have strict entry and qualification requirements attained by accumulating enough race points through qualifying trail races over the previous two-year period. In 2016 and 2017, 42% and 34% of runners did not finish the UTMB race. While the best runners complete the loop in more than 20 hours, most runners take 32 to 46 hours to reach the finish line. Most runners will have to run through two nights in order to complete the race.

Since 2006, a second race Courmayeur - Champex - Chamonix has been organised, a third race was added in 2009: "Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie". A fourth shorter "running" event - Orsières - Champex - Chamonix - was added in 2014. La Petite Trotte à Léon is a non-competitive team event started in 2011; each team is made of three members for safety. The route and direction of the course change every year. In 2015, it was run counter clock-wise. Today, the races consist of the following; this is a loop around Mont Blanc. It starts from Chamonix and goes up to the Col de Voza to reach Les Contamines, the first life base, it climbs to the Croix du Bonhomme before going back down to Les Chapieux. The path runs up to the Col de la Seigne to enter Italy, follows the ridge of the Mont-Favre before going down to Courmayeur, the second life base, it climbs again to the Refuge Bertone and Arnuva before reaching its highest point, the Grand Col Ferret, which marks the border with Switzerland. The path goes down again to Praz de Fort via La Fouly before reaching the third life base, Champex d'en Bas.

The last part includes two rather low cols: Les Tseppes, separated by Trient. On the descent to Vallorcine, the path re-enters France and crosses Argentière before finishing at Chamonix, its starting point; the route varies every year, sometimes for safety reasons. In 2010, the route was 166 km long with a total elevation gain of 9500m. A more detailed profile can be found on the official web site: UTMB profile; the race's popularity and its entry rate grew since it was first held. The number of entrants doubled from 700 in 2003 to 1,400 in 2004. In 2005, the limit of 5,000 runners was reached. In 2006, the organisers decided to create the CCC; the registrations were sold out in only 2 weeks. In 2007, it was decided that runners must qualify, by running qualifying races beforehand gaining points; that year the limit of 5,000 runners was reached. For the 2008 event, 6,000 runners registered in 5 months before the race. For the 2009 event, the qualifying criteria were tightened to limit the number of qualifying runners, a draw was introduced to make entry fairer, giving an equal chance to all qualifiers, making registration more orderly.

Despite the stricter criteria, 10% of qualifying entrants were still denied a place, so the organisers raised entry standards still further for the 2010 event so that selection would be based more on capability and experience than luck of the draw. The races in 2010, 2012, 2017 were shorter due to bad weather conditions. 15000 volunteers were involved in 2015. Northface Ltd was the main sponsor from 2006 to 2014. Columbia has been the main sponsor since 2015. Kuala4k is the secondary environmental sponsor since 2014 Runners are supposed to carry a minimum of equipment for safety reasons; this includes a waterproof jacket, warm clothes and water, survival blanket and head lamp. There are drink points along the route, every 10 to 15 km. In addition, four big "life bases" provide hot meals and massages: Chamonix, Les Chapieux and Champex. At Courmayeur for UTMB and at Cormet de Roseland for TDS, runners can collect a drop bag they left at Chamonix or at Courmayeur. Runners' race numbers contain a magnetic badge, read at 50 check points.

Timings and rankings by text message in real-time. It is conducted under the regulations of the International Trail Running Association, the governing body for trail races in the Mont Blanc and Alpine region. PTL is a self-supported run without course markings or aid stations. Runners rely on a limited number of support points, mountain huts, local stores and restaurants for food and sleep; the course should be followed by GPS, the road book. It g

Cradle of Filth was formed in Suffolk, England, in 1991. The band's original members consisted of vocalist Dani Filth, guitarist Paul Ryan, keyboardist Ben Ryan, bassist John Pritchard and drummer Darren Gardner. With this line-up, Cradle of Filth recorded a demo in 1992, titled Invoking the Unclean. Soon after, they recorded their second demo, Orgiastic Pleasures Foul with new guitarist Robin Eaglestone and new drummer Was Sarginson. Robin left the band shortly afterwards, but following the departure of John Pritchard, Eaglestone returned to take his place as bassist. Guitarist Paul Allender joined the band at the same time. Following these changes, another demo was titled Total Fucking Darkness. Sarginson left the band soon after. Cradle of Filth signed with Cacophonous Records in 1994, releasing their debut, The Principle of Evil Made Flesh. A series of differences between band members arose, there were problems between the band and the label, their second work, the EP V Empire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein, issued in 1996, saw further changes in the line-up.

The Ryan brothers and Allender left, Stuart Anstis and Damien Gregori joined. While writing material for a new album, the band negotiated their departure from Cacophonous, in November 1996, signed with European label Music for Nations and guitarist Gian Pyres joined; that year, they released Dusk... and Her Embrace, an album that expanded the group's growing cult following. Their next album was Cruelty and the Beast, released in 1998 featured new keyboardist Les Smith. Next year the group returned with From the Cradle to Enslave, an EP that featured new drummer Adrian Erlandsson, as Barker had departed to join Dimmu Borgir; the band's several lineup changes continued apace as Paul Allender rejoined the group and Martin Powell replaced Smith on keyboards for the full-length album Midian, Cradle's last for Music For Nations, appropriately released on Halloween 2000. Bitter Suites to Succubi was released on the band's own Abracadaver label in the UK and Spitfire Records in the US in 2001; the group signed to Sony for one album in 2003, adding a choir and orchestra for Damnation and a Day, moved to Roadrunner Records for 2004's Nymphetamine, 2006's Thornography, 2008's Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder.

2010's Darkly, Venus Aversa was independently released by Abracadaver through Peaceville. In 2015 the band released Hammer of the Witches. In 2016 the original version of Dusk and Her Embrace was released for the first time; as of 2009, Cradle of Filth had sold about 800,000 albums in the United States and 4 million records worldwide. Metal Hammer magazine called them the most successful British metal band since Iron Maiden. Cradle of Filth are well known for their extensive list of covers. Cradle of Fear From the Cradle to the Grave The Gospel of Filth Dominator ^ Re-released in 2007 by Peaceville Records, with the new title of Eleven Burial Masses; the CD & DVD package consists of the entire first disc of Live Bait for the Dead, plus the DVD Heavy, Left-Handed and Candid without its original bonus features. Media related to Cradle of Filth at Wikimedia Commons Cradle of Filth