Your plan in four answers
Set for October 2, 2027, about 49 weeks out.
- Distances
- 100K, Marathon
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Taper starts
- September 14, 2027
Course
The Ultra Pirineu course
The 100 km Ultra starts at 5:30 on Saturday from the Porxada square in Bagà and finishes in the town's Plaça Catalunya after about 6,600 m of climbing through the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park. It is one big mountain loop with ten aid stations, including Rebost, Niu de l'Àliga, Serrat de les Esposes, Gósol, Estasen and Gresolet, and the time limit is 8:00 on Sunday morning, so many runners finish through the night.
Read the full course notes
The 42 km Marathon (about 2,800 m of climbing) also starts on Saturday, at 9:00, and takes in the Niu de l'Àliga, Penyes Altes and Empedrats, with a cut-off of 19:15. On Sunday the 21.5 km Mitja (1,250 m of climbing) starts at 9:30 with views of the Serra d'Ensija, Comabona and Pedraforca. This is high-mountain terrain, and every distance has a mandatory kit list.
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Distances
- 100K, Marathon
- Weather on race day
- Early October around Bagà usually brings 9–17 °C in the valley and about 70 mm of rain in the month, but the ridges near 2,500 m in the Cadí-Moixeró run much colder, and the organisers warn that conditions can swing quickly from strong sun to wind, fog, hail or temperatures below 0 °C. With a 5:30 start and many finishes through the night, you will likely meet the full range, which is why the 100 km kit list includes a waterproof jacket and trousers, thermal layers, a warm hat and gloves. Start conservatively in the cold dark hours, keep eating and drinking through any warm midday stretch, and practise changing layers quickly.
What to train for
This is a vertical race: 6,600 m over 100 km is about 66 m of climbing every kilometre, so plan weekly vertical as carefully as weekly distance.
Spend long days in the mountains (5 to 8 hours), practise power hiking with poles if you will use them, and include steep descents on tired legs, because the quads decide the second half.
Train a night block too: a few runs with a headlamp after a full day prepare you for the hours after dark, and every long day should be done with your mandatory kit on your back. Marathon runners should aim for back-to-back weekend runs with 1,500 to 2,000 m of climbing.
Sample week
A sample Ultra Pirineu training week
A week from the middle of the build, about six weeks out. Your plan sets the real distances and paces from your own fitness and adjusts them every week as you train.
- Monday
- Rest, or 20 minutes of mobility
- Tuesday Key session
- Hill repeats: 10 × 2 min up a steady grade, jog back down
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 10 km
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 13 km with 6 km at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 6 km, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 29–32 km on trail, with as much climbing as you can find
- Sunday Key session
- Second long day, 16–19 km easy on tired legs
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Ultra Pirineu
Start the taper two to three weeks before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on October 2, 2027, your taper starts around September 14, 2027.
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Build me a training plan for the Salomon Ultra Pirineu (Marathon) on October 2, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Ultra Pirineu training questions
How long should I train for the Ultra Pirineu?
Most runners give a 100k twenty to twenty-four weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The plan above counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the Ultra Pirineu course hilly?
Hilly. The 100 km Ultra starts at 5:30 on Saturday from the Porxada square in Bagà and finishes in the town's Plaça Catalunya after about 6,600 m of climbing through the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park.
What is the weather usually like at the Ultra Pirineu?
Early October around Bagà usually brings 9–17 °C in the valley and about 70 mm of rain in the month, but the ridges near 2,500 m in the Cadí-Moixeró run much colder, and the organisers warn that conditions can swing quickly from strong sun to wind, fog, hail or temperatures below 0 °C. With a 5:30 start and many finishes through the night, you will likely meet the full range, which is why the 100 km kit list includes a waterproof jacket and trousers, thermal layers, a warm hat and gloves. Start conservatively in the cold dark hours, keep eating and drinking through any warm midday stretch, and practise changing layers quickly.
When should I start tapering for the Ultra Pirineu?
Start the taper two to three weeks before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on October 2, 2027, your taper starts around September 14, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Ultra Pirineu training plan?
No. The plan above builds in your browser with no account, no email, and no card. Make a free account only if you want to keep it, log your runs against it, and have the coach keep adapting it as your training goes.