All participants have begun their own adventure of crossing the Pyrenees, following the classic GR11 in teams of two or three people, to complete a long route with large slopes and impressive mountain scenery. The objective they have is to cross the finish line of the last stage ending in Salardú (Val d'Arán) next Saturday, September 9. All this, in an edition that has 89% international runners, from 21 different countries, and 36% female participation.

The balance of the first stage

The co-director of BiFree Sports, Tomàs Llorens, explained that “the new ending with the finish at the Sanctuary of Núria has been very popular with the participants, it has been a positive change compared to last year that the PSR repeaters have really liked.” Llorens has also highlighted that “in general everyone has ended up very happy and this Monday we will do the second stage, completely new, with a climb to Puigmal and with great enthusiasm”, he added.

Satisfaction among participants

The winners in the men's and general categories were the members of the Turmells Team, formed by Àlex and Roger, who completed the route in 3 hours and 46 minutes. Once the stage was finished, they noted that “it has been an incredible experience, we really liked the race with the change of route this year. The first climb has changed a little and I think it is a success with a more vertical climb. Once we arrived at the Coma de Vaca mountain hut we saw that it was also a success to do so through this new valley.”

The three members of the “Serpiente Emplumada” team, made up of two Mexicans and a runner from the United States, have highlighted that the first stage “was very beautiful, difficult with the first climbs, but the organization and the race is fantastic, the route is beautiful and the volunteers and race directors, as always, have put all their effort into marking the race well and with very positive energy.”

The second stage of the PSR

Tonight, the runners will have a dinner together and the awards ceremony and later they will do a briefing to prepare for the second stage this Monday. A stage that will take them from the Núria Sanctuary to La Masella, on a route of 35 km and 1,700 meters of positive gain. The great novelty of this edition is that the participants will climb one of the classic ascents of the Núria Valley, such as Puigmal.

You can check all the results of the first stage at this link.