Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K - Elevation Profile, Aid Stations and Cutoffs
- Salardú, Spain
- 55 km34.2 mi
- 3,300 m10,827 ft D+
- 5 aid stations
- 4 Running Stones - Major
Map, profile and checkpoints Map · checkpoints · forecast opens Jun 29 Race-day forecast is live
Race-day conditions
Weather and daylight along the course and at all 7 checkpoints, set to the 07:00 start.
- Start
- 07:00
- Daylight at the start
- 06:25-21:36
- Aid stations
- 5
- Distance
- 55 km34.2 miFinishes 288 m lower than it startsFinishes 945 ft lower than it starts
- Elevation
- +3,300 m+10,827 ft-3,588 m-11,772 ftAbout 60 m of climb per kmAbout 317 ft of climb per mile
- Highest point
- 2,599 m8,527 ftCòth de Pòdo
Next editionThu 8 Jul 2027 · 07:00
- Start
- Winner~5h235h23 after the start
- Median finisher2026 median10h34 after the start
- Cutoff14h after the start
Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K is a 55 km ultra-trail with around 3,300 m of elevation gain, starting in Salardú, Spain. The overall cutoff is 14 hours. The highest point on the course is Còth de Pòdo at 2,599 m. That is 60 m of climbing per kilometre. Val d'Aran by UTMB has 5 races, from 32 to 163 km; this one ranks 4 of 5 by distance and 4 of 5 by climbing per kilometre.
The biggest climb between checkpoints gains around 984 m from Banhs de Tredòs (km 8.66) to Colomèrs (km 23.81). The steepest sustained section on the elevation profile averages about 25% over roughly 2 km around km 43. The published checkpoint list has no crew-access points - check the official runner guide for assistance rules.
Data is approximate and courses change between editions - always verify against the official race guide.
Other distances at Val d'Aran by UTMB
| Race | Distance | D+ | Cutoff | Next start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VDA 163K | 163 km101.3 mi | 10,000 m32,808 ft | 48h00 | Jul 9, 2027 |
| CDH 110K | 110 km68.4 mi | 6,400 m20,997 ft | 28h00 | Jul 9, 2027 |
| TDL 75K | 75 km46.6 mi | 5,100 m16,732 ft | 20h00 | Jul 7, 2027 |
| PDA 55K (this page) | 55 km34.2 mi | 3,300 m10,827 ft | 14h00 | Jul 8, 2027 |
| EXP 32K | 32 km19.9 mi | 2,100 m6,890 ft | 7h15 | Jul 11, 2027 |
Plan against the cutoffs
Prepare every aid station against the official cutoffs, then unlock your full roadbook in the app.
Estimate your finish
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Course math
Four numbers worked out from this course's distance, elevation and checkpoints.
TrailMath effort-km
106 effort-km
About 11 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
50K
88 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
+984 m+3,228 ft
Banhs de Tredòs → Colomèrs · km 8.7–23.8mi 5.4–14.8
The largest gain between two checkpoints, not one continuous climb.
Biggest descent section
−1,212 m−3,976 ft
Santet Escunhau → Vielha (Finish) · km 46.1–55mi 28.6–34.2
The largest loss between two checkpoints. ITRA's km-effort ignores descent; TrailMath counts it: 106 km-effort.
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Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K · 2026
Finish times, 2026 edition
1,720 runners started. 1,478 came back. Half of them took longer than 10:33:53.
Median finish
10:33:53
Half of the 1,478 finishers were still out there at this point.
Average 10:30:58, 0:02:55 quicker than the median: a fast front pulls it down.
The start line
85.9%
1,478 of 1,720 starters made it; 242 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
10:26:03
median finish; average 10:22:51
1,193 finishers, 81% of the field
Women
11:14:39
median finish; average 11:04:58
285 finishers, 19% of the field
0:48:36 separates the two medians, across 1,193 men and 285 women.
Where the finishers came from
42% of the finishers came from Spain alone.
| Nation | Finishers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| SpainES | 61441.5% | |
| FranceFR | 51034.5% | |
| PortugalPT | 664.5% | |
| ArgentinaAR | 271.8% | |
| United KingdomGB | 231.6% | |
| IcelandIS | 221.5% | |
| NetherlandsNL | 171.2% | |
| ChinaCN | 130.9% | |
| LithuaniaLT | 120.8% | |
| PolandPL | 110.7% | |
| RomaniaRO | 100.7% | |
| BelgiumBE | 90.6% | |
| GermanyDE | 90.6% | |
| SwedenSE | 90.6% | |
| AndorraAD | 80.5% | |
| IrelandIE | 80.5% | |
| ItalyIT | 80.5% | |
| GreeceGR | 70.5% | |
| CuraçaoAN | 60.4% | |
| CzechiaCZ | 60.4% | |
| JapanJP | 60.4% | |
| United StatesUS | 50.3% | |
| SwitzerlandCH | 40.3% | |
| ChileCL | 40.3% | |
| DenmarkDK | 40.3% | |
| IsraelIL | 40.3% | |
| MalaysiaMY | 40.3% | |
| SlovakiaSK | 40.3% | |
| AustraliaAU | 30.2% | |
| CanadaCA | 30.2% | |
| FinlandFI | 30.2% | |
| OmanOM | 30.2% | |
| SerbiaRS | 30.2% | |
| TürkiyeTR | 30.2% | |
| BrazilBR | 20.1% | |
| EcuadorEC | 20.1% | |
| MexicoMX | 20.1% | |
| PeruPE | 20.1% | |
| TaiwanTW | 20.1% | |
| UkraineUA | 20.1% | |
| UruguayUY | 20.1% | |
| AustriaAT | 10.1% | |
| EstoniaEE | 10.1% | |
| EgyptEG | 10.1% | |
| Hong Kong SAR ChinaHK | 10.1% | |
| HungaryHU | 10.1% | |
| KuwaitKW | 10.1% | |
| LuxembourgLU | 10.1% | |
| LatviaLV | 10.1% | |
| MoroccoMA | 10.1% | |
| NorwayNO | 10.1% | |
| Palestinian TerritoriesPS | 10.1% | |
| SingaporeSG | 10.1% | |
| El SalvadorSV | 10.1% | |
| VenezuelaVE | 10.1% | |
| 45 other nations35 other nations25 other nations15 other nations5 other nationsAll other nations | 16311.0%835.6%422.8%181.2%70.5%20.1% |
Showing 20 of 55 nations.Showing 30 of 55 nations.Showing 40 of 55 nations.Showing 50 of 55 nations.Showing 55 of 55 nations.Showing 55 of 55 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.
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, verifiedSeptember 23, 2026 - Official results
Ask the course
Ask PDA 55K 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?
Banhs de Tredòs to Colomèrs: +984 m over 15.2 km, from km 8.66. 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?
Banhs de Tredòs, km 8.66 - your first checkpoint, and no crew can meet you there or further on: the organiser lists no crew access on PDA 55K. Carry your own warm layers: the course tops out at 2,599 m, in July.
Is 10h a realistic finish for me?
10h would put you in the faster half of 2026 finishers - the median was 10:33:53. It means holding 10:55/km overall.
The assistant answers that once it can see your training.
Build your PDA 55K plan and your question is the first thing waiting in the TrailMath Assistant.
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To answer this for you, the Course Assistant uses your training and your race plan.
Example answer
Your long runs peak at 15 km, so the plan builds to 4-hour long runs.
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~36 weeks · peak ~8 h/week · 5 run + 2 strength days
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Aid stations and checkpoints
| Checkpoint | KmMi | Cumulative gain (m)Cumulative gain (ft) | Cumulative loss (m)Cumulative loss (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start - SalardúServices not published | 00 | 00 | 00 |
| Banhs de Tredòs | 8.665.4 | 5321,745 | 41135 |
| Colomèrs | 23.8114.8 | 1,5164,974 | 8002,625 |
| Mont-Romies | 35.7522.2 | 2,2067,238 | 1,7055,594 |
| Arties | 40.225 | 2,2097,247 | 2,3327,651 |
| Santet Escunhau | 46.0728.6 | 2,8939,491 | 2,3767,795 |
| Vielha (Finish)Crew | 5534.2 | 3,30010,827 | 3,58811,772 |
Data is approximate and courses change between editions - always verify against the official race guide. Source: official race guide, verifiedSeptember 23, 2026 - Official race website
FAQ
How much elevation gain does Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K have?
Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K has around 3,300 m of cumulative elevation gain and 3,588 m of loss over 55 km.
What is the cutoff time for Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K?
The overall Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K cutoff is 14 hours, with intermediate time barriers at major checkpoints. Winning times are typically around 5 hours.
How long is Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K?
Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K covers approximately 55 km, starting in Salardú, Spain.
What is the highest point of Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K?
The highest point of Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K is Còth de Pòdo at 2,599 m.
How many aid stations does Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K have and which allow crew?
The checkpoint table lists 5 major aid points between the start and the finish. Personal crew assistance is not part of the published checkpoint data - check the official runner guide.
Training for this race?
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