Grand Raid des Pyrénées

Q: How difficult is the Grand Raid des Pyrénées Tour des Cirques? A: Very demanding. The 124.8km course has approximately 7,000–7,500m of gain (~56m/km) and an average uphill gradient of 13.39% — steeper than approximately 350 of 390 distances in DTR's database. The time limit is 41 hours. A qualifying race with ITRA/effort points is required to enter. Just 11.8% of the course is flat terrain, and nearly half (46.2%) is descending.

Q: How does the Grand Raid des Pyrénées lottery work? A: Registration is lottery-based. Pre-registration for the 2026 lottery closed January 15, 2026 at 8am; the Tour des Cirques distance sold out once the lottery closed. To enter the 2027 edition, sign up for the lottery well ahead of the January closing date — late entrants cannot join. A qualifying race (with ITRA/effort points from January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2025 for 2026) is also required.

Q: What is the biggest descent in the Grand Raid des Pyrénées Tour des Cirques? A: The top single descent drops 1,588m over 11.34km, beginning just 14km from the race start. With an average gradient of 14% and a maximum of 64.1%, it ranks among the 25 largest single descents in DTR's database of nearly 390 distances. A second major descent of 1,416m (11.43km) arrives near the end. Together they account for over 3,000m of dropping.

Q: How much does the Grand Raid des Pyrénées Tour des Cirques cost? A: Entry is €175 until April 30, then €187. At €175 that's €1.40 per kilometre — mid-range for a European alpine 100km+ event.