Dmitry Mityaev hasn’t come to Bagà for a scenic tour of the Alt Berguedà; he’s here to settle a five-year-old debt with the clock. Following his masterclass in the last edition, where the Russian runner flew through the final split between Sant Jordi and the Salomon Ultra Pirineu 100k finish line—shaving over five minutes off Kilian Jornet’s own time on that segment—the historic record of 10:24:44 is more vulnerable than ever. The real buzz in the paddock isn’t just about who will take the win, but whether Mityaev can maintain that hellish cadence across the 6,600 meters of elevation gain to erase the trail king’s mark.
The course is unforgiving. From the start at the Plaça Porxada, the wall climbing up to Niu de l’Àliga at 2,520 meters will pass judgment. It’s not just a matter of legs, but of thermal management: forecasts predict a drastic temperature drop on the Cadí-Moixeró ridges, with a risk of light frost on the most exposed peaks. Anyone who fails to manage their layers and fueling at critical aid stations like Gósol—where runners often suffer a massive bonk after crossing the Pas dels Gosolans—will see their podium hopes vanish between the single track and the technical rock.
While the spotlight shines on the ultra, the Salomon Marató Pirineu 42k promises a breakneck pace. After Julia Font’s stratospheric women’s record last year, dipping under 4 hours and 5 minutes, the pressure on the elite field is at an all-time high. Runners will face a leg-breaker of a course where drafting is non-existent and every punchy climb demands quad power that only the elite possess. There is no respite in the 2,700 meters of vertical gain in this Marathon distance, which has established itself as one of the fastest and most competitive on the European circuit.
The show kicks off on Friday with the pure verticality of La Molina Nit Pirineu KV, a 5km night climb that will test the lactate threshold of the VK specialists. To close the weekend, the Salomon Mitja Pirineu 21k will offer pure speed before the curtain falls once again in Bagà. But all eyes will remain on Mityaev and that ticking clock, waiting for the exact moment when Jornet’s legend is finally surpassed in his own backyard.