The shortest and most adventurous stage of the PSR

When you arrive at Andorra, all participants already know that they have crossed the halfway point of the Pyrenees Stage Run and begin to visualize the end of the challenge of crossing the Pyrenees in seven stages. The fourth stage began in the morning from Encamp, with a quite demanding start with the ascent to the Coll d’Ordino, located at almost 2,000 meters (1,983 meters), and with another peak such as the Coll de les Cases (1,958 meters). A stage that stands out for being the shortest of the entire PSR and that does not have any type of marking to complete a route that ends in Arinsal.

The co-director of BiFree Sports, Jordi Vissi, explained that “the fourth stage is completely Andorran and it is also a stage that we call 'adventure' because it is one hundred percent with the GPS devices that the teams wear as mandatory equipment during the race.". In this sense, Vissi pointed out that “it is a way to introduce this navigation system because we believe that it is very sustainable and we think that perhaps it is a method of continuing to do races in the future,” he added.

The PSR, a very international race

If this stage race, which is now in its seventh edition, stands out for some aspect, it is because of its high international participation, specifically with a figure of 89% in this edition. More than a hundred runners coming from countries such as Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as a team made up of a Japanese couple.

One of the participants, Yves Cartier from the Front Runners team, once the stage had finished, explained that “it is the second time we have participated in the Pyrenees Stage Run and today has been a very good day, with good weather and it has been very pleasant to run through the mountains. The last descent was very good, with terrain very suitable for running” he noted.

The fifth stage

This Thursday all participating teams will continue the race with the fifth stage of the Pyrenees Stage Run. The departure is scheduled at 8 in the morning from Arinsal to face one of the longest stages of 40 kilometers with 2,700 meters of positive gradient, arriving in the town of Tavascan (Pallars Sobirà).

The route will take the runners through the Valls del Comapedrosa Natural Park, they will pass through the emblematic Comapedrosa mountain hut and enter a high mountain area in a stonier and more alpine terrain until the Portella de Baiau at 2,756 meters, where they will enter the Alt Pirineu Natural Park. The descent to l'Estany and the Baiau Hut is one of the most spectacular and technical points of the race. Before reaching Tavascan they will cross the municipalities of Àreu and Boldís Sobirà, with the Coll de Tudela as a connection point.

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