3rd July 2024

HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® starts its fourth edition with more than 6,200 registered runners

The event, which takes place from 3 to 7 July in the heart of the Pyrenees, and which can be followed anywhere in the world via UTMB® Live, has more than 120 elite sportsmen and women. In its fourth edition, and with all the distances closed for months, more than 6,200 runners from more than 80 countries have registered.

HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® is already underway. The trail running event, which is held in the heart of the Pyrenees, opened its doors this morning at 10:00 am with the delivery of bib numbers and the opening of the Ultra-Trail® Village. Precisely one of the novelties of this fourth edition is that this space will bring together the start of the VDA 163 kilometres, the main distance, as well as the finishes of the CDH, the PDA, and the EXP, creating a single environment for the whole event. The purpose of this change is to offer a better experience to the runner, companions and the general public, who will have at their disposal in the same enclosure more than 50 exhibitors, a gastronomic area with food trucks, the Official Store to purchase merchandising, the UTMB® World Series Fun Zone, the bibs and accreditation area, the information point, the final refreshment point and the finish line.

Vielha has become the nerve centre of trailrunning. The capital of the Val d'Aran has prepared to welcome 15,000 people during this week. "We welcome this event with great enthusiasm, which is a reflection of the overall growth of sports tourism in the area," said Juan Antonio Serrano, mayor of Vielha and vice-president of the Diputació de Lleida. He also stressed the importance of supporting this type of event, which aims to raise awareness of traditions, culture, landscape and gastronomy. "It means giving the city great visibility on an international level due to its repercussions, as it is broadcast live all over the world".

At 17:00, in the village of Tredòs, the TR2 was held, the 6 km race whose main protagonists are the volunteers, an essential part of an event of the characteristics of HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB®, and who this year exceed 550.

Direct access to the HOKA UTMB® World Series Finals

Once again, and for the fourth consecutive year, HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® revalidates its title as UTMB® World Series Major being the only event in Europe to offer a direct place in HOKA UTMB® Mont-Blanc to the first ten men and the first ten women who finish the VDA, the CDH and the PDA, in their equivalent category (OCC® 50K, CCC® 100K, and UTMB® 100M). This, together with the bibs given out by age category, means that HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® provides around 210 direct accesses to the UTMB® World Series Finals, which take place in Chamonix. In addition, all finishers of the event will get double the number of Running Stones, doubling their chances of access to the much sought-after French event. On the other hand, this year HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® increases the value of its prizes thanks to the HOKA Prize Purse, making it the Spanish trail running competition with the highest prize money.

The first to cross the finish lines of the VDA, the CDH, and the PDA will receive 5,000 euros, the second, 3,000, the third, 2,000, the fourth, 1,250, and the fifth, 1,000 euros.

This increase in the prize money reflects the UTMB® Group's commitment to gender equality and parity across all distances, with male and female athletes receiving the same amount over the three main distances.

Direct access to the HOKA UTMB® World Series Finals

55% of the runners are foreigners

With more than 6,200 athletes registered, HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® is the trail event with the most participants in Spain. Moreover, for the first time in its history, foreigners outnumber Spaniards, with a percentage of 55% and 45% respectively.

China is the fourth country behind Spain, France and Portugal, followed by the United Kingdom, Belgium, the United States, Japan, Argentina and the Netherlands.

More than 120 elite runners

HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® will have some of the most important national and international athletes. In the VDA, the 163 km race, athletes such as the Argentinean Santos Gabriel Rueda (849 UTMB® Index), the Polish Roman Ficek (824 UTMB® Index), the Chinese Wenfei Xie (687 UTMB® Index), or the Bolivian Elisabeth Rios (685 UTMB® Index) will compete. In the HRC, Raul Butaci (875 UTMB® Index) returns to defend his title. He will not have it easy as he will have to compete with runners such as Andreu Simon (898 UTMB® Index), winner of the same distance in 2022, or Sebastian Krogvig (860 UTMB® Index), third last year. In the women's race, Maite Maiora (754 UTMB® Index) will be looking for first place after finishing fourth in 2023. Some of her rivals will be the Norwegian Kirsten Hindhammer (718 UTMB® Index), the American Alyson Baca (732 UTMB® Index), or the Chinese Yuanyuan Wu (707 TMB®). The PDA returns stronger than ever with big names such as Miguel Arsenio (903 UTMB® Index), José Ángel Fernández Jiménez (889 UTMB® Index), Marcos Ramos (872 UTMB® Index), Inés Astrain (706 UTMB® Index), Marta Pérez Maroto (698 UTMB® Index), and Madison Reynolds (692 UTMB® Index). In the EXP, Spain's Mireia Pons (733 UTMB® Index), Natalia González (710 UTMB® Index), Moana Lilly Kehres (705 UTMB® Index), Yoel de Paz (887 UTMB® Index), and Josep Miret (831 UTMB® Index), France's Valentin Benard (857 UTMB® Index), and Lithuania's Gediminas Grinius (851 UTMB® Index). While in the SKY will be Sheila Avilés (765 UTMB® Index), María Fuentes Olcina (708 UTMB® Index), Pau Capell (890 UTMB® Index) and Pau Capell (890 UTMB® Index).

HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB®, the trail event with the highest number of participants in Spain

Once again this year, HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® has once again sold out all its distances, although this time faster than ever. More than 6,200 participants from more than 80 countries will enjoy the landscapes of the Val d'Aran until 7 July competing in one of its five races.

The VDA, 163 km and 10,000 metres of positive and negative vertical drop, the flagship race of Val d'Aran by UTMB® for its toughness. It starts on Friday 5 July at 16:00 in Vielha.
The CDH, 110 km, 6,400 metres of positive vertical drop and 6,050 negative, leaves the village of Les on the same Friday at 6:00 in the morning.
The PDA, which, due to the significant accumulation of snow in the area of Còth de Pòdo, at an altitude of 2,600 metres, in Colomèrs, has modified the route from 55 to 51.5 kilometres, with 3,100 m+ and 3,400 m-, maintaining the passage through the area of Colomèrs and the Salana peak.
The EXP, 32 km long, with 2,100 positive and negative difference in altitude, will leave Vielha at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday 7 July.
The SKY, 15 km and 800 metres of vertical drop, will take place on Saturday 8 July in Beret from 9.30 a.m. onwards.