28th June 2026

HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® launches the TDL and strengthens its position as a benchmark for innovation, sustainability and safety

From 1 to 5 July, the sixth edition of the event will take place, with the spotlight on the debut of the TDL – Termières dera Libertat, a brand-new 75 km race (100K category), which will be held on Wednesday, 1 July. More than 7,500 runners from 91 countries will compete across the eight race distances offered by the event.

Less than a week remains until Spain's biggest trail running event and one of the world's premier trail running gatherings gets underway. From 1 to 5 July, the Val d'Aran will once again host HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB®, returning as the UTMB® World Series Major, the European Final of the UTMB® World Series circuit.

More than 7,500 runners from 91 different nationalities will compete across the event's eight race distances. Spain, France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, China, Belgium, Argentina, the Netherlands, Germany and Iceland are among the countries with the highest number of participants.

2026, the year of the TDL

On Wednesday, 1 July, HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® will officially begin with the debut of the TDL – Termières dera Libertat (Frontiers of Freedom), a brand-new and highly anticipated 75 km race (100K category) featuring 5,100 metres of elevation gain, starting in Bossòst and finishing in Vielha.

The race is inspired by the hidden mountain trails that, for decades, served as escape routes for people fleeing war, persecution and oppression.

Over the following four days, the rest of the event programme will take place: VDA 163 km, CDH 110 km, PDA 55 km, EXP 32 km, SKY, SKY Promesas 18 km, and Vielha 10K.

Some of the world's best trail runners will compete in the Val d'Aran

During the first week of July, the Val d'Aran will welcome many of the biggest names in both national and international trail running.

China's Mia Yao (UTMB® Index 822), reigning OCC champion and currently ranked World No. 10, who claimed victory in the PDA last year, will aim to take the CDH title. She will line up alongside Norway's Mari Klakegg Fenre (UTMB® Index 761), winner of the race in 2025, and Dutch runner Ragna Debats (UTMB® Index 752). In the men's field, Romanian Raúl Butaci (UTMB® Index 916), CDH champion in 2023, together with Spaniards Julen Calvo (UTMB® Index 901) and Marcos Ramos (UTMB® Index 886), are among the leading contenders for the podium.

The PDA once again boasts an outstanding elite field. In the women's race, Spain's Sara Alonso (UTMB® Index 801), fourth at the 2025 OCC, USA's Helen Mino (UTMB® Index 763), and Spain's Nuria Gil Clapera (UTMB® Index 765) will battle for victory. In the men's race, Italy's Luca del Pero (UTMB® Index 925), Kenya's Robert Pkemoi (UTMB® Index 920), and Spain's Alain Santamaría (UTMB® Index 918) are among the favourites.

In the VDA, the standout athletes include Beñat Marmissolle (UTMB® Index 903), Santos Gabriel Rueda (UTMB® Index 861), and Lluis Ruiz (UTMB® Index 853) in the men's race, and Katarzyna Dombrowska (UTMB® Index 762), Aroa Sio (UTMB® Index 754), and Lenka Polackova (UTMB® Index 716) in the women's race.

The TDL features Ryan Becker (UTMB® Index 864) and Eduard Hernández (UTMB® Index 849) in the men's field, alongside Gemma Arenas (UTMB® Index 750) and Giuditta Turini (UTMB® Index 744) in the women's race.

Ibai Larrea (UTMB® Index 894), Guillaume Tiphene (UTMB® Index 877), and Hodei Samaniego (UTMB® Index 855) headline the EXP, while Blandine L'Hirondel (UTMB® Index 807), María Fuentes (UTMB® Index 774), and Allison Baca Kehres (UTMB® Index 773) lead the women's field.

In the SKY races, the names to watch are Cesare Maestri (UTMB® Index 923), Alex García Carrillo (UTMB® Index 911), Jan Torrella (UTMB® Index 900), Vivien Bonzi (UTMB® Index 767), Julia Font (UTMB® Index 765), and Carrodilla Cabestre (UTMB® Index 679).

HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB®: setting the standard

HOKA Prize Purse

Once again, HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB®, in partnership with HOKA, reinforces its commitment to elite trail running through the HOKA Prize Purse, a significant prize fund that supports the continued professionalisation of the sport.

In total, €73,500 will be distributed across the event's three flagship races, making HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® the trail race with the largest prize purse in Spain.

Anti-doping controls

As part of UTMB® Group's strong commitment to clean sport, HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® will conduct anti-doping controls in collaboration with the ITA (International Testing Agency). Testing will be carried out on the top finishers in the VDA (100M), CDH (100K), and PDA (50K), together with random tests on other participants.

A showcase for the future

SKY Promesas continues to establish itself as one of the leading development platforms for the next generation of trail runners.

Created for young athletes aspiring to compete at elite level, the race has experienced steady growth in recent years, increasing from 21 participants in 2022 to 86 confirmed entrants in 2026. As part of the UTMB® World Series, it provides emerging talent with a unique opportunity to compete on an international stage in front of teams, brands and key figures within the sport.

Charity Bibs

With virtually every race distance selling out within just 48 hours, HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® once again offered runners the opportunity to purchase a Charity Bib and support a meaningful cause. This year, €8,000 has been raised.

Now in its third consecutive edition, the initiative supports local projects focused on solidarity, health, inclusion and environmental protection. Since 2024, a total of €24,000 has been raised—allowing runners to fulfil their own dreams while helping others achieve theirs.

Committed to the environment

HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® is taking another step forward in its environmental commitment by becoming the first trail running event in Spain to fully offset its carbon emissions.

Through UTMB IBERIA, the organisation has purchased and retired 471 certified greenhouse gas credits, validated by the Oficina Catalana del Canvi Climàtic, fully offsetting the CO₂ emissions generated during the 2025 edition.

Supported by UTMB® Group funding and the contribution of runners, the initiative strengthens an event model that combines sport, sustainability and positive local impact.

Leading the way in innovation and safety

HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® will become the first trail running event to test an advanced drone-based safety management system through the pilot project "Aran by UTMB® Drone".

The initiative will evaluate aerial monitoring, surveillance and operational support during the PDA (55 km), CDH (100 km), and VDA (100 miles) races, enhancing race safety while transforming the event into a real-world testing environment for drone technology in complex mountain competitions involving thousands of participants.

The project is led by the Conselh Generau d'Aran, supported by the Government of Catalonia and IDAPA as part of the Digital Areas Strategy, with local company Cargo Drone serving as the technology partner.

Bringing all the excitement of trail running to the world

The spectacular landscapes of the Val d'Aran will reach audiences around the globe thanks to an extensive international media production. From 2 to 4 July, a team of more than 40 professionals will broadcast every key moment from the event through UTMB® Live.

Fans will also be able to follow race highlights, interviews and live updates through the HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® YouTube channel and social media platforms.

International live coverage will be available through some of the world's leading sports broadcasters, including DAZN (global), Eurovision Sport (Europe), SPORTDIGITAL (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), StarTimes (Sub-Saharan Africa), L'Équipe (France, for the fifth consecutive year), FloSports (United States), and iQIYI Sports, Tencent Video, and RunYeah (China).

At national and regional level, coverage will also be available through TV3–Esport3 in Catalonia (Catalan language), while RTVA / Canal Sur will broadcast highlights for Andalusia, extending the reach of an event that continues to establish itself as one of the world's leading trail running competitions.

Eight race distances. Five days of competition. More than 7,500 runners. An extraordinary mountain setting that makes this event a truly unique experience. HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® is ready to welcome thousands of participants to the heart of the Pyrenees to celebrate their shared passion for mountains, sport and adventure.