Val d'Aran by UTMB - VDA 163K - Elevation Profile, Aid Stations and Cutoffs
Val d'Aran by UTMB - VDA 163K is a 163 km ultra-trail with around 10,000 m of elevation gain, starting in Vielha, Spain. The overall cutoff is 48 hours. The highest point on the course is Port d'Urets at 2,520 m.
Course profile
Vielha, Spain
- Distance
- 163 km
- Elevation
- +10,000 m -10,000 m
- Highest point
- 2,520 m
About 61 m of climb per km
Port d'Urets
Next edition Fri 9 Jul 2027 · 16:00
in 289 days- Start
- Sunrise 14h28 after the start
- Winner ~21h32 21h32 after the start
- Median finisher 2026 median 39h32 after the start
- Cutoff 48h after the start
A median finisher runs 17h43 in the dark.
The biggest climb between checkpoints gains around 1,425 m from Refugi Honeria (km 65.64) to Mines de Liat (km 75.71). The steepest sustained section on the elevation profile averages about 25% over roughly 2.9 km around km 27. Crew access is allowed at Bossòst (49.17 km), Salardú (113.58 km) and Arties (148.81 km). Drop bags are available at Bossòst and Salardú.
Data is approximate and courses change between editions - always verify against the official race guide.
Enter a goal finish time and see estimated arrivals vs checkpoint cutoffs.
Plan against barriersElevation profile
Course math
Three numbers worked out from this course's distance, elevation and checkpoints.
UTMB Index category
100M
263 km-effort (distance + gain ÷ 100). Calculated from the course figures, not an official classification.
Estimate your UTMB Index →Biggest climb section
+1,425 m
Refugi Honeria → Mines de Liat · km 65.6–75.7
The largest gain between two checkpoints, not one continuous climb.
Refugi Honeria cutoff: Sat 09:15
Plan against barriers →Biggest descent section
−1,177 m
Poilaner → Portilhon · km 33–42.6
The largest loss between two checkpoints. ITRA's km-effort ignores descent; TrailMath counts it: 330 km-effort.
Open in GPX Explorer →Val d'Aran by UTMB - VDA 163K · 2026
Finish times, 2026 edition
717 runners started. 358 came back. Half of them took longer than 39:32:02. That left the median finisher 8:27:58 inside the 48h cutoff.
Median finish
39:32:02
Half of the 358 finishers were still out there at this point.
8:27:58 in hand before the 48h cutoff
Average 38:36:37, 0:55:25 quicker than the median: a fast front pulls it down.
The start line
49.9%
358 of 717 starters made it; 359 did not.
still moving when a cutoff closed
stopped by choice or by the medics
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
39:33:58
median finish; average 38:39:32
339 finishers, 95% of the field
Women
35:10:50
median finish; average 37:44:31
19 finishers, 5% of the field
4:23:08 separates the two medians, across 339 men and 19 women.
Finish time by age group
Every track runs from the start to the 48h 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20-34 | 35:07:27 | 72 | |
| 35-39 | 37:02:14 | 66 | |
| 40-44 | 39:41:46 | 68 | |
| 45-49 | 40:33:42 | 67 | |
| 50-54 | 42:27:56 | 40 | |
| 55-59 | 42:36:08 | 17 - small sample, read with care | |
| 60-64 | 38:59:13 | 6 - small sample, read with care | |
| 65-69 | 46:39:06 | 3 - small sample, read with care |
| Age | Median finish | Median against the cutoff | Finishers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20-34 | 32:21:48 | 4 - small sample, read with care | |
| 35-39 | 33:02:41 | 4 - small sample, read with care | |
| 40-44 | 32:11:53 | 4 - small sample, read with care | |
| 45-49 | 42:20:00 | 5 - small sample, read with care | |
| 50-54 | - | 1 - too few finishers to publish a time | |
| 60-64 | - | 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
44% of the finishers came from France alone.
| Nation | Finishers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| France FR | 159 44.4% | |
| Spain ES | 73 20.4% | |
| Belgium BE | 16 4.5% | |
| United Kingdom GB | 13 3.6% | |
| Netherlands NL | 9 2.5% | |
| Argentina AR | 7 2.0% | |
| Italy IT | 7 2.0% | |
| Japan JP | 7 2.0% | |
| Sweden SE | 7 2.0% | |
| Poland PL | 6 1.7% | |
| Portugal PT | 6 1.7% | |
| Germany DE | 5 1.4% | |
| Norway NO | 5 1.4% | |
| United States US | 5 1.4% | |
| Austria AT | 3 0.8% | |
| Canada CA | 3 0.8% | |
| Romania RO | 3 0.8% | |
| Kuwait KW | 2 0.6% | |
| Uruguay UY | 2 0.6% | |
| Andorra AD | 1 0.3% | |
| Curaçao AN | 1 0.3% | |
| Australia AU | 1 0.3% | |
| Chile CL | 1 0.3% | |
| China CN | 1 0.3% | |
| Czechia CZ | 1 0.3% | |
| Denmark DK | 1 0.3% | |
| Estonia EE | 1 0.3% | |
| Finland FI | 1 0.3% | |
| Georgia GE | 1 0.3% | |
| Greece GR | 1 0.3% | |
| Ireland IE | 1 0.3% | |
| India IN | 1 0.3% | |
| South Korea KR | 1 0.3% | |
| Lithuania LT | 1 0.3% | |
| Moldova MD | 1 0.3% | |
| French Polynesia PF | 1 0.3% | |
| Paraguay PY | 1 0.3% | |
| Serbia RS | 1 0.3% | |
| Slovenia SI | 1 0.3% | |
| 29 other nations 19 other nations 9 other nations | 54 15.1% 19 5.3% 9 2.5% |
Showing 20 of 39 nations. Showing 30 of 39 nations. Showing 39 of 39 nations.
Bar length is against the largest nation. The smallest counts are drawn at a minimum visible width, so their bars are not to scale.
Share these numbers
A card with the 2026 finisher statistics, sized for Instagram and Strava.
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 September 23, 2026 - Official results
Talk to your race
Ask VDA 163K anything about climbs, pacing, crew or cutoffs.
Which climb should I respect most?
Refugi Honeria to Mines de Liat: +1,425 m over 10.1 km, from km 65.64. 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?
Bossòst, km 49.17 - the first of 3 crew points. The next is Salardú, km 113.58. Have them bring warm layers: the course tops out at 2,520 m, through the night, in July.
Is 39h a realistic finish for me?
39h would put you in the faster half of 2026 finishers - the median was 39:32:02. It means holding 14:21/km overall.
The Coach answers that once it can see your training.
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Your long runs peak at 30 km, so the plan builds to 4-hour long runs, two of them at night. Cutoff buffer at Còth de Varradòs: 2h17.
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~42 weeks · peak ~8 h/week · 5 run + 2 strength days
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Aid stations and checkpoints
| Checkpoint | Km | Cumulative gain (m) | Cumulative loss (m) | Cutoff | Crew | Drop bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start - Vielha | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| Bassa d'Oles | 10.49 | 1,263 | 641 | Fri 19:15 | No | No |
| Artiga de Lin | 24.59 | 2,069 | 1,582 | Fri 22:15 | No | No |
| Poilaner | 32.95 | 3,117 | 2,115 | - | No | No |
| Portilhon | 42.57 | 3,606 | 3,292 | Sat 04:00 | No | No |
| Bossòst | 49.17 | 3,774 | 4,043 | Sat 05:30 | Yes | Yes |
| Canejan | 58.2 | 4,299 | 4,381 | Sat 08:00 | No | No |
| Refugi Honeria | 65.64 | 4,988 | 4,946 | Sat 09:15 | No | No |
| Mines de Liat | 75.71 | 6,413 | 5,074 | - | No | No |
| Còth de Varradòs | 81.68 | 6,541 | 5,470 | Sat 16:00 | No | No |
| Port d'Urets | 90.15 | 7,242 | 5,700 | - | No | No |
| Montgarri | 99.55 | 7,365 | 6,683 | Sat 20:45 | No | No |
| Beret | 104.67 | 7,579 | 6,706 | Sat 22:15 | No | No |
| Salardú | 113.58 | 7,658 | 7,371 | Sun 00:00 | Yes | Yes |
| Banhs de Tredòs | 122.42 | 8,211 | 7,429 | Sun 02:45 | No | No |
| Estanh Obago | 129.19 | 8,724 | 7,462 | - | No | No |
| Colomèrs | 134.04 | 8,889 | 7,886 | Sun 07:00 | No | No |
| Mont-Romies | 144.34 | 9,252 | 8,465 | - | No | No |
| Arties | 148.81 | 9,266 | 9,104 | Sun 10:45 | Yes | No |
| Santet Escunhau | 154.26 | 9,951 | 9,149 | Sun 13:15 | No | No |
| Vielha (Finish) | 163 | 10,000 | 10,000 | Sun 16:00 | Yes | No |
Data is approximate and courses change between editions - always verify against the official race guide. Source: official race guide, verified September 23, 2026 - Official race website
FAQ
How much elevation gain does Val d'Aran by UTMB - VDA 163K have?
Val d'Aran by UTMB - VDA 163K has around 10,000 m of cumulative elevation gain and 10,000 m of loss over 163 km.
What is the cutoff time for Val d'Aran by UTMB - VDA 163K?
The overall Val d'Aran by UTMB - VDA 163K cutoff is 48 hours, with intermediate time barriers at major checkpoints. Winning times are typically around 22 hours.
How long is Val d'Aran by UTMB - VDA 163K?
Val d'Aran by UTMB - VDA 163K covers approximately 163 km, starting in Vielha, Spain.
What is the highest point of Val d'Aran by UTMB - VDA 163K?
The highest point of Val d'Aran by UTMB - VDA 163K is Port d'Urets at 2,520 m.
How many aid stations does Val d'Aran by UTMB - VDA 163K have and which allow crew?
The checkpoint table lists 19 major aid points between the start and the finish. Crew access is allowed at Bossòst (49.17 km), Salardú (113.58 km) and Arties (148.81 km). Drop bags are available at Bossòst and Salardú.
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