The World Trail Majors is positioning itself as a ‘diverse, respectful, and independent’ series of nine trail / ultra races around the world. Since going public on November 13, 2023, the World Trail Majors reports that… ‘many races made contact with an interest to joining the series, and conversations started. We can now announce the 10th race in the series.’
Grand Raid des Pyrenees joins World Trail Majors for the 2024 calendar alongside the original nine races: Anta Hong Kong 100 Ultramarathon, Black Canyon Ultras, The North Face Transgrancanaria, Mt. FUJI 100, MIUT – Madeira Island Ultra-Trail, Swiss Canyon Trail, South Downs Way 100, Quebec Mega Trail and RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town.
The Grand Raid des Pyrenees originated in 2008 with 400+ runners and two races, 75km and 150km.
A release from the World Trail Majors noted that… ‘Now, at the end of August, over 6000 runners come to enjoy 7 race distances from 40 Km to 160, the GRP as it’s commonly called in France is a race weekend with pure French DNA, that includes a warm and friendly atmosphere.’
Located in the south west of France, 2 hours from Toulouse, near the border with Spain, in the central Pyrenees, the GRP’s routes use trails and mountain passes (cols) including sites such as the Pic du Midi de Bigorre and the Cirque de Gavarnie, which became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
The race that joins the World Trail Majors is the Ultra Tour, featuring 163km with and 9800m of elevation.
Simon Accarier, co-founder of GRP said “It is an opportunity to open up to other prestigious races to share ideas as well as an excellent opportunity to promote the Pyrenees, our region and its unique character to runners all over the world.
“The values of sharing the experience while preserving the authenticity and identity of each of the World Trail Majors races have convinced us as they are the same as those of the Grand Raid des Pyrenees.”
