PDA 55K Aid Station Planner
All 7 PDA 55K checkpoints pre-loaded. Enter your goal finish time to get estimated arrival times at every aid station.
Full Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K course data: aid stations, cutoffs, course profile
Enter a goal PDA 55K finish time and get estimated arrival times at every checkpoint - 55 km with around 3,300 m of climbing, with crew and drop-bag points flagged.
Turns every arrival into a clock time and every cutoff into a margin.
Terrain changes how the goal time is shared between segments, not the total. One surface everywhere cancels out.
Checkpoints (7)
| Checkpoint | Dist (km) | D+ (m) | Km-effort | Arrive by | Clock | Seg time | Seg pace/km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | 0 | 0 | - | 0:00:00 | Thu 07:00 | - | - |
| Banhs de Tredòs | 8.7 | +532 | 14.3 | 1:20:45 | Thu 08:20 | 1:20:45 | 9:19 |
| Colomèrs | 23.8 | +984 | 30.0 | 4:10:58 | Thu 11:10 | 2:50:14 | 11:14 |
| Mont-Romies | 35.8 | +690 | 24.9 | 6:31:52 | Thu 13:31 | 2:20:54 | 11:48 |
| Arties | 40.2 | +3 | 8.7 | 7:20:56 | Thu 14:20 | 0:49:03 | 11:01 |
| Santet Escunhaulikely hiking (pace) | 46.1 | +684 | 13.0 | 8:34:35 | Thu 15:34 | 1:13:40 | 12:33 |
| Vielha (Finish)likely hiking (pace) | 55.0 | +407 | 21.1 | 10:34:00 | Thu 17:34 | 1:59:25 | 13:22 |
Banhs de Tredòs
Thu 08:20- Dist (km)
- 8.7
- D+ (m)
- +532
- Seg time
- 1:20:45
- Seg pace/km
- 9:19
Colomèrs
Thu 11:10- Dist (km)
- 23.8
- D+ (m)
- +984
- Seg time
- 2:50:14
- Seg pace/km
- 11:14
Mont-Romies
Thu 13:31- Dist (km)
- 35.8
- D+ (m)
- +690
- Seg time
- 2:20:54
- Seg pace/km
- 11:48
Arties
Thu 14:20- Dist (km)
- 40.2
- D+ (m)
- +3
- Seg time
- 0:49:03
- Seg pace/km
- 11:01
Santet Escunhaulikely hiking (pace)
Thu 15:34- Dist (km)
- 46.1
- D+ (m)
- +684
- Seg time
- 1:13:40
- Seg pace/km
- 12:33
Vielha (Finish)likely hiking (pace)
Thu 17:34- Dist (km)
- 55.0
- D+ (m)
- +407
- Seg time
- 1:59:25
- Seg pace/km
- 13:22
Highlighted rows use a pace heuristic (>12 min/km / >19 min/mi) - likely hiking by speed, not grade. The grade-based power-hike cue is ≥15% (see GAP and Incline tools). Times are distributed proportionally by km-effort.
Cutoff buffers are estimates from your goal time and published barriers. Courses and barriers change - verify against the official race guide.
Next step
About Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K
Val d'Aran by UTMB - PDA 55K covers 55 km with around 3,300 m of elevation gain, starting in Salardú, Spain. The overall cutoff is 14 hours.
Checkpoint data approximate - verify against the current official race guide at valdaran.utmb.world before your race.
The science behind km-effort pacing
Most runners build race pacing plans by dividing total distance evenly - which ignores the fact that an uphill kilometre takes far longer than a flat one. This planner uses TrailMath's enhanced km-effort model to distribute your goal time proportionally by effort, not by distance.
The km-effort formula for each segment is: distance_km + gain_m/100 + loss_m/150. This is TrailMath's extension of the standard ITRA gain-only formula, which adds descent cost based on Minetti's finding that steep technical descents carry real metabolic load. A 5km segment with 500m of gain and 200m of loss has an effort of 5 + 5 + 1.3 = 11.3 km-effort - equivalent to running 11.3km flat. Time is allocated proportionally to this effort score.
Why gain and loss have asymmetric costs. Minetti et al. (2002) mapped the metabolic cost of inclined locomotion across gradients from -45% to +45%. The key findings: metabolic cost rises steeply above 15-20% uphill grade, making power hiking more energy-efficient than running on steep climbs. On descents, eccentric muscle loading (quads acting as brakes) creates its own metabolic cost - steep technical descents are far more demanding than the same gradient on a smooth fire road. The gain/100 + loss/150 asymmetry in the formula reflects this - gain is more costly per metre than loss, but loss is not free.
Power hiking threshold is flagged at segments where your computed pace exceeds 12 min/km (19 min/mile). This threshold corresponds to the crossover point where walking biomechanics become more efficient than running on steep uphill terrain. Strategic power hiking on marked segments preserves leg muscle for descents and reduces overall race time compared to running everything.
This km-effort model is the same formula used in TrailMath's training engine for load calculation (following Dan Johnston's asymmetric elevation scoring methodology), ensuring consistency between how your training load is measured and how your race effort is planned.
Minetti AE et al. (2002). Energy cost of walking and running at extreme uphill and downhill slopes. J Appl Physiol. 93(3):1039-46. Minetti AE et al. (1995). Mechanical determinants of gradient walking energetics in man. J Physiol. 481(Pt 1):235-43. ITRA. km-effort formula. International Trail Running Association. itra.run
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