The third edition of Val d'Aran by UTMB comes to an end
The third edition of the Major de Europa began on Wednesday 5 July at 10:00 a.m. with the start of the bib pick-up and the opening of the Ultra-Trail® Village, one of the great novelties of this edition due to its change of location and for concentrating most of the services for the runner.
This 6,700 square metre area welcomed more than 12,000 visitors, where some of the most important brands in the sector were present.
In the afternoon, at 17:00, in the village of Tredós, the second edition of the TR2 was held, a race that was born in 2022 by and for the volunteers of the event, and which counted with the presence of the athletes Azara García de los Salmones, Maite Maiora, and the American Craig Hunt, to give a surprise and encourage the volunteers.
Two hours later, at 19:00 in the Ultra-Trail® Village, the presentation of the event took place, where some of the main elite athletes who participated in the event were present.
Oihana Kortazar and Raúl Criado are proclaimed PDA winners
The PDA started on Thursday 6 July at 7:00 a.m. from the village of Salardú. With all the numbers sold out since last January, 1,686 runners took the start, 296 women and 1,390 men. After 55 km with 3,300 metres of positive vertical gain and 3,700 metres of negative vertical gain, Raúl Criado (05:41:08) was the first to reach Vielha and cross the finish arch in 05:41:08. "It was incredible what it felt like to come in here, at the finish line", said the winner.
He was followed by the runner from Báguena (Aragón) Marcos Ramos, who stopped the clock in 05:45:29, and the podium was completed by Aritz Egea, winner of the CDH in 2021, with a time of 05:46:54.
In the women's category, Oihana Kortazar was the fastest, with a time of 06:32:38. Anna Comet took second place, stopping the clock in 06:32:38, and Monica Vives was third, with a time of 06:58:17.
Azara García de los Salmones, ninth overall at the CHR
After the PDA, on Friday it was the turn of the HRC. At 6 a.m., 1,420 runners gathered in the Plaza deth Haro in Les. 1,290 men and 130 women were ready to tackle a 110-kilometre route, with 6,400 metres of positive vertical drop and 6,050 metres of negative vertical drop, through the wildest and highest parts of the Val d'Aran.
With a time of 12:45:46, the Romanian runner based in Lleida, Rául Butaci, was the first to ring the bell in this category. "I suffered a lot because of cramps and there were times when I couldn't do it. But I was first. Going up I felt very good, I couldn't go down because I had cramps? But for the first six hours I didn't suffer, I enjoyed it, the whole area of the mines, the views... You don't get tired..." .... You look around you and the kilometres go by without noticing", said the third winner in the history of the CHR.
The race had an international podium with Frenchman Alban Berson, fourth in the TDS in 2021, coming in second with a time of 12:57:35. In third place, and stopping the clock in 13:12:26, came Norwegian Sebastian Krogvig, first in the TDS that same year.
The women's category also had its own name from the start, with Azara García de los Salmones leading the race from almost the very beginning. Ninth overall, the Cantabrian rang the bell in 14:14:52. Norwegian Mari Klakegg Fenre was second with a time of 14:38:12, and Nuria Picas was third in 15:32:12.
VDA and HRC, cancelled
Under the gaze of hundreds of spectators, at 4 p.m. on Friday, more than 600 brave men set off from Vielha to tackle the 163 kilometres and 10,000 metres of vertical drop of the VDA. None of them could have imagined what was to come a few hours later.
A thunderstorm, hail, strong gusts of weather and low temperatures, conditions not foreseen in the weather forecasts, meant that the Val d'Aran by UTMB® security team formed by the Mossos d'Esquadra, Pompièrs d'Aran, doctors and race management, decided to suspend the two longest distances, the VDA and the CDH.
One thousand runners were evacuated on Friday night in a rapid and efficient operation, which could have ended in tragedy if the races had continued.
Following the events of Friday evening, the race organisers have decided to award 6 Running Stones (tickets to the draw to participate in the UTMB® World Series Finals, UTMB, CCC and OCC of UTMB® Mont-Blanc), to all the runners of the CHR neutralised on Friday 7th July.
In addition, the first 10 classified athletes and the first 10 classified athletes, as well as the first in each age category, will obtain direct access to the UTMB® World Series Finals at the corresponding distance.
The VDA runners are awarded 2 Running Stones, and had the opportunity to participate in the EXP. In addition, at the prize-giving ceremony of the CHR and EXP, held on Sunday at 12:30, Xavier Pocino Moga, CEO of UTMB® Iberia, announced that VDA runners will be granted special conditions if they want to register for Val d'Aran by UTMB® 2024, which will be reported later.
First edition of the EXP
On Sunday it was the turn of the EXP 32 kilometres, another of this year's novelties. A new distance with a circular route starting and finishing in Vielha, and about 2,000 metres of positive difference in altitude, and in which the runners of the VDA, who were invited to participate after the cancellation of their race on Friday, also took part.
Pablo Bautista was the first winner in the history of this race, crossing the finish line in a time of 02:56:18. He was followed by Jesús María Alegría, who came second, stopping the clock in 03:01:01, while Diego Ramón Simón was third in 03:06:38.
In the women's category, Nuria Gil was the fastest, completing the course in 03:27:48. María Fuentes was second, with a time of 03:30:14, and Mireia Pons completed the podium in 03:33:40.
