Grand Raid des Pyrénées Ultra Tour 160 - Elevation Profile, Aid Stations and Cutoffs
- Vielle-Aure, Hautes-Pyrénées, France
- 174.2 km
- 10,406 m D+
- 16 aid stations
Map, checkpoints and cutoffs Map · checkpoints · forecast opens Aug 11 Race-day forecast is live
Race-day conditions
Weather, daylight and your arrival time at all 18 checkpoints, set to the 05:00 start.
- Start
- 05:00
- Daylight at the start
- 07:09-20:54
- Aid stations
- 16
Course profile
Vielle-Aure, Hautes-Pyrénées, France
- Distance
- 174.2 km
- Elevation
- +10,406 m -10,406 m About 60 m of climb per km
- Highest point
- 2,876 m Pic du Midi
Next edition Est. Fri 20 Aug 2027
Our estimate for Fri 20 Aug 2027. The organiser has not announced the date for this race yet.
- Start
- Sunrise 2h10 after the start
- Sunset 15h55 after the start
- Winner ~25h23 25h23 after the start
- Median finisher 2026 median 40h58 after the start
- Cutoff 50h after the start
A median finisher runs 13h31 in the dark.
Grand Raid des Pyrénées Ultra Tour 160 is a 174.2 km ultra-trail with around 10,406 m of elevation gain, starting in Vielle-Aure, Hautes-Pyrénées, France. The overall cutoff is 50 hours. The highest point on the course is Pic du Midi at 2,876 m. That is 60 m of climbing per kilometre. Grand Raid des Pyrénées has 7 races, from 41.6 to 174.2 km; this one ranks 1 of 7 by distance and 3 of 7 by climbing per kilometre.
The biggest climb between checkpoints gains around 1,528 m from Start - Vielle-Aure (km 0) to Restaurant Merlans (outbound) (km 15.8). The steepest sustained section on the elevation profile averages about 27% over roughly 2.1 km around km 102. Crew access is allowed at Restaurant Merlans (outbound) (15.8 km), La Mongie (31.1 km), Hautacam (65.3 km), Pierrefitte-Nestalas (base vie) (77 km), Lac d'Estaing (98 km), Cauterets (113.9 km), Béderet (123.4 km), Luz-Saint-Sauveur (base vie) (131.8 km), Tournaboup (144.1 km) and Restaurant Merlans (return) (161 km). Drop bags are available at Pierrefitte-Nestalas (base vie) and Luz-Saint-Sauveur (base vie).
Data is approximate and courses change between editions - always verify against the official race guide.
Other distances at Grand Raid des Pyrénées
| Race | Distance | D+ | Cutoff | Next start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRP Ultra Tour 160 (this page) | 174.2 km | 10,406 m | 50h00 | Aug 20, 2027 (est.) |
| GRP Tour des Cirques | 126.7 km | 7,036 m | 41h00 | Aug 20, 2027 (est.) |
| GRP Tour des Lacs | 80.5 km | 5,187 m | 25h00 | Aug 21, 2027 (est.) |
| GRP Tour du Moudang | 60.8 km | 3,515 m | 17h00 | Aug 19, 2027 (est.) |
| GRP Tour du Bastan | 53.3 km | 3,070 m | 15h30 | Aug 19, 2027 (est.) |
| GRP Tour du Néouvielle | 43.1 km | 2,439 m | 12h00 | Aug 20, 2027 (est.) |
| GRP Tour de la Gela | 41.6 km | 3,427 m | 12h30 | Aug 19, 2027 (est.) |
Plan against the cutoffs
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Estimate your finish
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Course math
Four numbers worked out from this course's distance, elevation and checkpoints.
TrailMath effort-km
330 effort-km
About 44 h for a mid-pack finisher (index 500). Not a pacing guarantee.
Distance + gain ÷ 100 + loss ÷ 200, beside ITRA's gain-only km-effort. Model TM1.0.
How TrailMath works →UTMB Index category
100M
278 km-effort (distance + gain ÷ 100). Calculated from the course figures, not an official classification.
Estimate your UTMB Index → ITRA and UTMB indexes explainedBiggest climb section
+1,528 m
Vielle-Aure → Restaurant Merlans (outbound) · km 0–15.8
The largest gain between two checkpoints, not one continuous climb.
Biggest descent section
−1,424 m
Restaurant Merlans (return) → Vielle-Aure (Finish) · km 161–174.2
The largest loss between two checkpoints. ITRA's km-effort ignores descent; TrailMath counts it: 330 km-effort.
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Grand Raid des Pyrénées Ultra Tour 160 · 2026
Finish times, 2026 edition
716 runners started. 357 came back. Half of them took longer than 40:57:47. That left the median finisher 9:02:13 inside the 50h cutoff.
Median finish
40:57:47
Half of the 357 finishers were still out there at this point.
9:02:13 in hand before the 50h cutoff
Average 40:33:04, 0:24:43 quicker than the median: a fast front pulls it down.
The start line
49.9%
357 of 716 starters made it; 359 did not.
still moving when a cutoff closed
stopped by choice or by the medics
Organisation stops and disqualifications: 1.
Men and women
Two medians on the same scale. The bars run from the start to the cutoff, so the gap between them is the gap in time.
Men
40:54:50
median finish; average 40:33:22
339 finishers, 95% of the field
Women
41:43:29
median finish; average 40:27:20
18 finishers, 5% of the field
0:48:39 separates the two medians, across 339 men and 18 women.
Finish time by age group
Every track runs from the start to the 50h cutoff, so the empty part of a bar is the time that group's median finisher still had. Men and women are drawn on the same scale.
| Age | Median finish | Median against the cutoff | Finishers |
|---|---|---|---|
| ES | - | 2 - too few finishers to publish a time | |
| SE | 37:16:16 | 62 | |
| M0 | 38:22:55 | 61 | |
| M1 | 40:51:12 | 69 | |
| M2 | 42:07:22 | 74 | |
| M3 | 42:54:07 | 41 | |
| M4 | 44:22:41 | 23 | |
| M5 | 45:31:37 | 4 - small sample, read with care | |
| M6 | 45:43:21 | 3 - small sample, read with care |
| Age | Median finish | Median against the cutoff | Finishers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SE | 35:57:42 | 6 - small sample, read with care | |
| M0 | - | 2 - too few finishers to publish a time | |
| M1 | 39:41:16 | 5 - small sample, read with care | |
| M2 | - | 2 - too few finishers to publish a time | |
| M3 | - | 1 - too few finishers to publish a time | |
| M4 | - | 1 - too few finishers to publish a time | |
| M6 | - | 1 - too few finishers to publish a time |
Full bar: 20 finishers or more. Tick alone: fewer than 20, too few for a median to say much. The shaded row is the biggest group.
Where the finishers came from
94% of the finishers came from France alone.
| Nation | Finishers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| France FR | 336 94.1% | |
| Spain ES | 10 2.8% | |
| United Kingdom GB | 5 1.4% | |
| Belgium BE | 3 0.8% | |
| Albania AL | 1 0.3% | |
| Italy IT | 1 0.3% | |
| Luxembourg LU | 1 0.3% |
Bar length is against the largest nation. The smallest counts are drawn at a minimum visible width, so their bars are not to scale.
How these numbers were computed
These are times for runners who finished. They exclude everyone who started and did not, so they describe how long finishing took, not how long the race takes. Bands with only a handful of finishers move a lot from one edition to the next.
We plot the median, not the average. A handful of very quick runners drags the average well below the time half the field actually beat, so the median is the honest number to plan against.
Nationality here shows who travels to this race, not who runs it best. That alone is why a host nation tops almost every list.
Computed from the full official results, verified October 24, 2026 - Official results
Ask the course
Ask GRP Ultra Tour 160 anything about climbs, pacing, crew or cutoffs.
Answers come from this course's data, your plan and your training.
Which climb should I respect most?
Vielle-Aure to Restaurant Merlans (outbound): +1,528 m over 15.8 km, straight from the gun. Hike the steep sections at an effort you could hold for hours - the race is decided after this climb, not on it.
Where can my crew meet me?
Restaurant Merlans, km 15.8 - the first of 9 crew points. The next is La Mongie, km 31.1. Have them bring warm layers: the course tops out at 2,876 m, through the night, in August.
Is 40h a realistic finish for me?
40h would put you in the faster half of 2026 finishers - the median was 40:57:47. It means holding 13:47/km overall.
The assistant answers that once it can see your training.
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Example answer
Your long runs peak at 30 km, so the plan builds to 4-hour long runs, two of them at night. Cutoff buffer at Pierrefitte-Nestalas: 53 min.
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~43 weeks · peak ~8 h/week · 5 run + 2 strength days
For a 174.2 km race, aim for about 12 h/week at peak. Set your availability to 14 h/week in the app for the headroom to build there gradually.
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Aid stations and checkpoints
| Checkpoint | Km | Cumulative gain (m) | Cumulative loss (m) | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start - Vielle-Aure Services not published | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| Restaurant Merlans (outbound) Crew | 15.8 | 1,528 | 274 | Fri 08:30 |
| Refuge de Campana du Cloutou | 23.7 | 2,037 | 613 | - |
| La Mongie Crew | 31.1 | 2,447 | 1,503 | Fri 13:00 |
| Col de Sencours (before Pic du Midi) | 38.9 | 3,313 | 1,726 | Fri 15:00 |
| Col de Sencours (after Pic du Midi) | 45.5 | 3,811 | 2,232 | Fri 16:30 |
| Descente Aoube | 51.2 | 3,961 | 2,542 | Fri 17:50 |
| Hautacam Crew | 65.3 | 4,459 | 3,736 | Fri 21:15 |
| Pierrefitte-Nestalas (base vie) Crew Drop bag | 77 | 4,464 | 4,770 | Fri 23:30 |
| Lac d'Estaing Crew | 98 | 5,992 | 5,618 | Sat 06:00 |
| Refuge d'Ilhéou | 105.9 | 7,083 | 5,899 | - |
| Cauterets Crew | 113.9 | 7,083 | 6,941 | Sat 11:00 |
| Béderet Crew | 123.4 | 8,124 | 7,175 | - |
| Luz-Saint-Sauveur (base vie) Crew Drop bag | 131.8 | 8,153 | 8,249 | Sat 16:30 |
| Tournaboup Crew | 144.1 | 9,011 | 8,347 | Sat 20:30 |
| Refuge d'Aygues Cluses | 150.5 | 9,699 | 8,347 | Sun 00:00 |
| Restaurant Merlans (return) Crew | 161 | 10,226 | 8,982 | Sun 03:30 |
| Vielle-Aure (Finish) Crew | 174.2 | 10,406 | 10,406 | Sun 07:00 |
Data is approximate and courses change between editions - always verify against the official race guide. Source: official race guide, verified October 24, 2026 - Official race website
FAQ
How much elevation gain does Grand Raid des Pyrénées Ultra Tour 160 have?
Grand Raid des Pyrénées Ultra Tour 160 has around 10,406 m of cumulative elevation gain and 10,406 m of loss over 174.2 km.
What is the cutoff time for Grand Raid des Pyrénées Ultra Tour 160?
The overall Grand Raid des Pyrénées Ultra Tour 160 cutoff is 50 hours, with intermediate time barriers at major checkpoints. Winning times are typically around 25 hours.
How long is Grand Raid des Pyrénées Ultra Tour 160?
Grand Raid des Pyrénées Ultra Tour 160 covers approximately 174.2 km, starting in Vielle-Aure, Hautes-Pyrénées, France.
What is the highest point of Grand Raid des Pyrénées Ultra Tour 160?
The highest point of Grand Raid des Pyrénées Ultra Tour 160 is Pic du Midi at 2,876 m.
How many aid stations does Grand Raid des Pyrénées Ultra Tour 160 have and which allow crew?
The checkpoint table lists 16 major aid points between the start and the finish. Crew access is allowed at Restaurant Merlans (outbound) (15.8 km), La Mongie (31.1 km), Hautacam (65.3 km), Pierrefitte-Nestalas (base vie) (77 km), Lac d'Estaing (98 km), Cauterets (113.9 km), Béderet (123.4 km), Luz-Saint-Sauveur (base vie) (131.8 km), Tournaboup (144.1 km) and Restaurant Merlans (return) (161 km). Drop bags are available at Pierrefitte-Nestalas (base vie) and Luz-Saint-Sauveur (base vie).
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