Peades d'Aigua is the 51.0km trail race at HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB 2025 (Vielha, Spain). The race starts on July 2, 2025.
Race strategy
Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.
- Big early climb with 1.4km gain. Control your HR at altitude.
- 606m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
- Steep 33% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
- Final 837m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
- Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 40.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 44.0km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
- Start · 0.0km–1.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
- Settle in · 1.8km–17.9km · Climb of 1400m, high point 2591m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
- Work · 17.9km–26.8km · Descent of 606m averaging 11%. Plus 1 more climb. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.
- Fade · 26.8km–44.0km · Descent of 1421m averaging 11%, climb of 568m. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
- Home · 44.0km–50.8km · Descent of 837m averaging 12%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end. Hike the steepest pitches.
Course
The course climbs 2300m+. With 45m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 36% of the distance is uphill, 42% downhill and 22% flat. The longest climb runs 17.9km at an average 7.8% grade (1400m of vertical). The longest descent runs 13.4km at an average 10.6% grade (1421m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 42.3% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 33.3% over 0.7km. Surface: 77% trail, 14% smooth, and 9% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 78.9 FlatKM.
Summits
The highest summit on the course is Tuc de Salana (2485m), 26.8km from the start.
Poles
Trekking poles are worth taking: about 8.0km of the course favours them.
Quad damage
Quad damage risk is moderate (index 37 of 100), with 24% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.
- Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 40.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 44.0km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
- #1 · 17.9–23.4 km · 606 m D−, -11.1% · 27.4 km ahead → control
- #2 · 26.8–40.2 km · 1421 m D−, -10.6% · 10.6 km ahead → control
- 44.0–50.8 km · 837 m D−, -12.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
Weather
On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 14°C to 22°C, with around 14°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 31%.
Results
1,403 finishers completed the 2025 edition. Men's winner: Nadir Maguet (Italy) in 4:52:06. Women's winner: Miao Yao (China) in 5:31:39.
This page has the full results and splits, a pacing and nutrition planner, a gradient matrix, an interactive elevation profile and historical weather for Peades d'Aigua.
