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On July 2-6, the collective trail running community will make a hard pivot from the canyons convection oven at the 2025 Western States 100 to the heart of the Catalan Pyrenees. It’s time for Val d’Aran by UTMB, a European fan favorite that’s also the European UTMB World Series Major.
That means double the “running stones” and auto-qualification spots into the UTMB World Series Finals are on the line. And perhaps double the scenery—Val d’Aran takes place in the beautiful and mostly remote areas of the Pyrenees mountains along the borders of France and Andorra and packs a lot of vert and panoramic views.
Over 6,000 runners, including top trail and ultrarunners from around the world, will put themselves to the test over seven race distances—163K, 110K, 55K, 32K, 15K, and 10K—that traverse the wild mountain ranges of northeast Spain while also exploring old mines, pristine lakes, and historic towns during this UTMB World Series event.
Course Description
Nestled in the valley of Val D’Aran, in Vielha, Spain, the race follows ancient shepherd paths that trace the Garonne River to high alpine meadows and alpine cirques. Over 30 percent of the region sits above 6,000 feet, with several peaks rising above 9,000 feet, rendering this area a mountain lover’s paradise.
Breathtaking scenery quite literally awaits runners in the three longest races: Torn dera Val d’Aran (VDA—101.2 miles), Camins d’Hèr (CDH—68.3 miles), and Peades d’Aigua (PDA—34.1 miles). Starting in Viehla, the 100-miler begins with two massive climbs that each boast over 6,500 feet of elevation gain.
The entire 100-mile route boasts massive elevation again to the tune of over 30,000 feet. But there will be welcome distractions along the way. From Les, runners pass through wild mountains and old villages dispersed in the Aranese Mountains. The race then goes back in time to the area’s old mines, including passing through mining tunnels in Liat and going by the abandoned mines of Urets with panoramic views of Lac de Montoliu and a mountain chain of the Pyrenees. Runners pass by a cirque of lakes around Colomers and then climb and descend some of the largest peaks of the race before finishing back in Vielha.
The CDH and PDA races join in along the same route as the VDA, while the shorter races feature looped courses from Viela and, in the case of the 30K, the ski resort of Beret.
Who to Watch
Of the seven races, the one to watch is the women’s 50K. It boasts a deep field of seasoned veterans:
- Miao Yao (China), the 2024 OCC 50K champion who was also third at the Mont Blanc Marathon last year.
- Allison Baca (U.S.), who won the Desert Rats by UTMB 50K this April in commanding fashion. She also won the 100K here last summer.
- Sylvia Nordskar (Norway), the 2024 Zegama champ who won the Swiss Canyon Trail 53K at the beginning of June.
Other runners of note include:
- Christian Allen (U.S.), who is racing the men’s 50K after just winning the Broken Arrow Skyrace ascent to qualify for the World Trail and Mountain Running Championships.
- Dakota Jones (U.S.), who is racing the men’s 100K. He took 9th at the 2024 CCC. When he’s on, he’s on, including third at CCC and first at Transvulcania in 2023.
- Yannick Noel (France), who will give Jones a fight in the 100K. He was 10th at the 2024 UTMB and won the Festival des Templiers 100K last year.
How to Watch Val d’Aran by UTMB
The Val d’Aran broadcast starts on July 3. The Val d’Aran livestream will be free to watch live on Outside TV. Busy running (or more realistically, sleeping) during the race? Outside+ members can view the race on demand after the finish anytime, on any device.