Pablo Bautista and Mireia Pons, winners of the EXP de HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB®
After five days of races, more than 5,400 runners on the starting line from more than 80 different countries, and 73,500 euros in prize money, HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® closes its fourth edition.
Wednesday 3, official presentation of the event and TR2
The Major de Europa kicked off on Wednesday 3 July at 10:00 am with the start of the bib distribution and the opening of the Ultra-Trail® Village, whose main novelty was that it concentrated the start of the VDA, and the finish of all the distances, to offer a better experience to the runner, companions, and the general public. 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, who in this edition have been more than 550. 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 competed in the different distances were present, such as Raúl Butaci, Maite Maiora, Ryan Sandes, Allison Baca, Scott Hawker, or Eli Rios.
Víctor del Águila and Inés Astrain are proclaimed PDA winners
The PDA started on Thursday 6 July at 7:00 am from the village of Salardú. With all the numbers sold out in just 20 days, 1,707 runners took the start, 306 women and 1,401 men.
After 51.5 km with 3,100 metres of positive vertical gain and 3,400 metres of negative vertical gain, due to the modification of the route that had to be made due to the accumulation of snow in Còth de Pòdo, Víctor del Águila was the first to reach Vielha and cross the finish arch in 05:00:29. Right behind him came the Portuguese runner André Rodrigues, who stopped the clock in 05:00:29. The podium was completed by Daniel Castillo, seventh in the same distance last year.
In the women's category, Inés Astrain was the fastest with a time of 06:12:02. "I dreamed of a race like this, my first By UTMB® race. I set my own time, and I enjoyed it a lot, until the last descent, when I was told that Gisela was three minutes behind", said the runner from Pamplona. Gisela Carrión took second place, stopping the clock in 06:14:58. "I had set myself a goal that I really liked and I chose this one. I have lived here a lot and the Val d'Aran is very special for me", said the Catalan. Marta Pérez Maroto was third, with a time of 06:22:29.
Luke Grenfell-Shaw and Allison Baca are the fastest in the CDH
After the PDA, on Friday it was the turn of the CDH. At 6 a.m., 888 runners gathered at the Carrèr Ressèc de Les. 631 men and 257 women were ready to tackle a 110-kilometre route, with 6,400 metres of positive vertical gain and 6,050 metres of negative vertical gain, through the wildest and highest parts of the Val d'Aran.
With a time of 12:05:03, Luke Grenfell-Shaw (849 UTMB® Index) was the first to ring the bell. "My brother passed away 5 years ago. No matter how bad it was up there, all I could think about in my mind was John. He gave me the strength to keep going," said the Briton.
In second place came Andreu Simón (897 UTMB® Index), winner of the CDH in 2022, stopping the clock at 12:31:08. Finally, the surprise of the day, as he himself indicated, was the Basque Goar Lopetegui (831 UTMB® Index), with a time of 12:41:51.
In the women's category, Allison Baca (732 UTMB® Index) was very clear from the start that she came to HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® to win. The runner from Colorado had no rival and dominated the race from start to finish, being the fastest to reach the finish in 14:44:51, and classifying eleventh overall. "It was amazing, a really good race. The day was very long. I felt very good for 60 kilometres, and from then on I was just watching the clock, but I just got here and I was happy", she said.
Silvia Puigarnau (689 UTMB® Index) came in second place, completing the CDH in 15:44:03. The podium was closed by a great regular at HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB®, the Basque Maite Maiora (754 UTMB® Index), fourth in this same distance last year, and first in the PDA in 2022 with a time of 15:44:03.
The VDA is cancelled due to adverse weather conditions
In front of hundreds of spectators gathered at the Ultra-Trail® Village in Vielha, on Friday at 16:00 hours 654 brave runners took the start to face the 156 kilometres and 9,300 metres of elevation gain of the alternative route of the VDA, modified due to the forecast of very adverse weather conditions.
At around 11pm that night, a thunderstorm that dumped a lot of water over the entire Val d'Aran forced the Race Direction to cancel the race and evacuate the runners of this distance, who were invited to participate in the EXP, the 32-kilometre race to be held on Sunday. Participants were awarded Running Stones depending on the point at which they were neutralised. In addition, prizes were awarded to the top five men and women in the general classification, and to the top runners in each category.
The kids, the stars of Saturday at the Trail Festival Baqueira Beret
On Saturday 6 July, the focus of HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® was on the Pla de Beret area. On Friday the alternative route of the SKY was activated, which increased the distance by 3 kilometres from 15 to 18, but reduced the height difference from 800 to 456 metres, with a route from Beret to Montgarri.
At 09:30 in the morning, the SKY Promesas, for young trail runners between 16 and 19 years of age, started, which this year 2024 has experienced a 44% increase compared to the previous edition. Guillaume Lherisson, Adrián Vos Pérez, and Adrià López Vilajosana were the winners in the male category. Judith Soriano Sánchez, Nadine Calahorra, and Olivia López took the podium in the women's category.
At 10:00 it was the turn of the SKY Master. Jan Torrella took first place, finishing the race in 1:11:57. He was joined on the podium by Jan Margarit, with a time of 1:12:44, and Gontzal Murgoitio, who completed the course in 1:13:08.
In the women's category, Núria Tarragó was the fastest woman to cross the finish arch with a time of 1:26:26. María Fuentes was second, with a time of 1:28:58, and Sheila Avilés third, stopping the clock in 1:32:07.
In addition, the Trail Festival Baqueira Beret also took place, an event created for family enjoyment, in which the youngest members of the family were able to immerse themselves in the world of trail running.
Around 70 children aged between 8 and 16 took part in the Corsa des Sanglièrs, a 5 km race, not timed and without classification, while more than 300 champions aged between 4 and 12 enjoyed the children's races, of shorter distance. Games, activities and lots of fun for the youngest members of the family.
Pablo Bautista and Mireia Pons win the EXP
On Sunday it was the turn of the EXP 32 kilometres, a race that was born in 2023, with a circular route starting and finishing in Vielha, and about 2,000 metres of positive difference in altitude, and in which 888 runners participated, 257 women and 631 men.
Pablo Bautista, last year's winner, repeated on the podium, crossing the finish line in a time of 02:54:23. "I was really looking forward to coming back. I came to the Val d'Aran last year and I fell in love with this place", said the runner. He was followed by Josep Miret and Yoel de Paz, who came in together at the finish line, stopping the clock in 02:57:00. ç
In the women's category Mireia Pons, third in 2023, was the fastest, completing the course in 02:54:23. Maeva Danois was second, with a time of 03:31:54, and Moana Lilly Kehres completed the podium in 03:33:43.
The fourth edition of HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® comes to a close
HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® closes an edition of records. It is the trail running event with the most participants in Spain, the one with the highest prize money and, once again, it has demonstrated its capacity to react when conditions are adverse.
HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB® closes its fourth edition and hopes to return next year to welcome thousands of runners from all corners of the world who want to enjoy a great week of trail running.
