When is the Challenge du Montcalm 2027?

The dates have not been announced yet. The 36th edition was held from Thursday 13 to Sunday 16 August 2026, around Auzat, in Ariège.

What are the PICaPICA cut-offs?

In 2026: 14 hours to reach the Soulcem base camp the first time, 30 hours to pass through it again, 42 hours for the Lartigue car park and 55 hours to finish, meaning a finish by 11 am on Sunday at the latest.

Do you need experience to enter?

For the PICaPICA, you must have finished a race with more than 8,000 m of climbing or the PicAriège; for the PicAriège, a race with more than 5,000 m. Otherwise, you can apply by email, showing good knowledge of the high mountains, by day and by night. For the shorter races, an FFA licence or the PPS is enough, within each race’s age limits.

Challenge du Montcalm: how many weeks of preparation?

For an athlete at intermediate level, Endu builds a 25-week preparation. If your race is closer, the plan compresses phases while keeping the taper; if it's further away, it lengthens the preparation, and when the gap is large the preparation starts right away, gently and at your current volume, before building up.

How many sessions per week?

This example has 4 sessions per week. You choose 4 to 7 training days and the exact days (e.g. Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun): the plan sticks to them.

I'm a beginner, is this plan for me?

The plan adapts to your declared level (beginner to semi-pro): starting volume, progression and intensity change. Endu also offers a "Discovery" mode without a race to build a base first.

Can I follow sessions on my watch?

Yes, on Garmin and COROS. On Garmin, the Endu app (Connect IQ Store) shows today’s session and starts it as a guided workout. On COROS, link your account from your profile: your running, trail and cycling sessions land in the watch calendar. Other brands are not supported yet.

How much does it cost?

14-day free trial, then €7.99/month with no commitment or €59.88/year (€4.99/month). Unlimited objectives and sports.

Challenge du Montcalm 2027: date, course and training plan

109 km · 11,500 m D+Auzat2027 edition: date not announced yet

In August, around Auzat in the upper Ariège, the Challenge du Montcalm brings together races from 3.5 to 109 km, including the PICaPICA, 109 km and 11,500 m of climbing between France and Andorra. The Défi du Montcalm links four of them over four days: 138.5 km and 12,100 m of climbing. The 36th edition took place from 13 to 16 August 2026; the 2027 dates have not been announced yet.

Your plan for Challenge du Montcalm

A plan set to your level and free days, which adapts to your feedback after each session.

Your level?

14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Challenge du Montcalm at a glance

Date: 2027 edition: date not announced yet2026 edition: 13 August 2026
Formats: Défi du Montcalm — 138.5 km and 12,100 m of climbing in 4 races over 4 days in 2026: the KV du Sarrasi (3.5 km, 1,050 m of climbing) on Thursday evening, the PicAriège (70 km, 7,000 m) on Friday, the Marathon du Montcalm (40 km, 2,750 m) on Saturday and the Trail des Novis (25 km, 1,300 m) on Sunday. Rankings for each race and for the Défi overall. 50 places. €220 before 13 April 2026, €235 after.
PICaPICAPlan below — 109 km and 11,500 m of climbing, four peaks over 3,000 m, between France and Andorra. Start in Auzat on Friday 14 August 2026 at 4 am. Time limit: 55 hours. Entry: you must have finished a race with more than 8,000 m of climbing or the PicAriège, or show solid high-mountain experience. 299 places. €220, then €235.
PicAriège — 70 km and 7,000 m of climbing, three peaks over 3,000 m. Start in Auzat on Friday 14 August 2026 at 6 am. Time limit: 31 hours. Entry: you must have finished a race with more than 5,000 m of climbing, or have equivalent experience. 350 places. €150, then €165.
Marathon du Montcalm — 40 km and 2,750 m of climbing. Start on Saturday 15 August 2026 at 7 am. 12-hour time limit. 600 places. €70, then €80.
Courses courtes — Trail des Novis (25 km, 1,300 m of climbing), Trail des Mineurs (15 km, 850 m), By Night (8 km, 350 m), KV du Sarrasi (3.5 km, 1,050 m) and the Jove for under-16s (4.5 km).
Registration: Entries for 2027 are not open yet and no date has been published; for the 2026 edition, they opened on 11 December 2025 at noon, on njuko. 2026 fees for the Défi and the PICaPICA: €220 before 13 April, €235 after. An FFA licence (Athlé Compétition, Entreprise or Running) or a PPS health pass valid on race day is required; FFTri, FSGT, FFME, FEEC and CAF licences are not accepted. For the PICaPICA and the PicAriège, you must show your experience (Betrail, ITRA, UTMB Index, results) or apply by email. Bib transfers are not allowed; in 2026, partial refunds went down in steps, from 80% until 12 April to 50% until 31 July.
Official website: challenge-du-montcalm.com

What the race asks of your training

Four days in a row

The Défi opens with a vertical kilometre on Thursday evening, then the PicAriège on Friday, the Marathon on Saturday and the Trail des Novis on Sunday. You must finish the PicAriège in under 25 hours to start the Marathon the next morning. Weekends of back-to-back long runs, over two or three days, teach you to set off again on tired legs and to recover quickly.

Committing high-mountain terrain

The PicAriège crosses three peaks over 3,000 m, and the organisers are clear: big climbs, technical and sometimes exposed sections, and specific high-mountain training is a must. Mountain outings above 2,000 m on rocky ground and technical descent practice matter more here than speed on the flat.

A vertical kilometre to start with

The KV du Sarrasi, 3.5 km with 1,050 m of climbing as a time trial, opens the Défi. Steep uphill sessions at a hard but controlled effort, on long hills or stairs, prepare you for this short effort without spoiling the days that follow.

Semi-self-sufficiency and mountain kit

The races are semi-self-sufficient: you sometimes have to last several hours between aid stations, some of them mountain huts with basic comfort. On the PicAriège, the mandatory kit includes a down jacket whatever the weather, a waterproof jacket, overtrousers, gloves and the GPS track. Train with a loaded pack and learn to manage water between distant aid stations.

The plan below prepares the PICaPICA format, for an athlete at intermediate level with 4 days available per week. Until the official date is out, the example is set for August 2027. Aiming for another format? Enter its distance when you create your plan, which will be calibrated on your level, your available days and your feedback after every session.

weeks: 25
sessions: 99
sessions / week: 4
peak week: 10.9 h

Plan structure

Periodised in phases: build the base, move to race-specific work, then taper before the race.

General preparation
Weeks 1–2 · 2 wk
Base
Weeks 3–10 · 8 wk
Build
Weeks 11–16 · 6 wk
Specific
Weeks 17–22 · 6 wk
Taper
Weeks 23–24 · 2 wk
Race week
Weeks 25–25 · 1 wk

Volume progression

Week by week: lighter recovery weeks are built in to absorb the load.

Wk	Phase	Hours	km	Elev.
1	General preparation	6.4 h	43	1,196 m
2	General preparation	6.6 h	45	1,362 m
3	Baserecovery	5.1 h	36	801 m
4	Base	6.6 h	44	1,272 m
5	Base	7 h	47	1,374 m
6	Base	7.3 h	49	1,471 m
7	Baserecovery	5.7 h	39	972 m
8	Base	7.3 h	47	1,549 m
9	Base	7.8 h	51	1,648 m
10	Base	8.1 h	52	1,770 m
11	Buildrecovery	6.3 h	42	1,181 m
12	Build	8.2 h	51	1,925 m
13	Build	8.9 h	57	2,062 m
14	Build	8.9 h	56	2,100 m
15	Buildrecovery	7 h	47	1,462 m
16	Build	9.3 h	57	2,257 m
17	Specific	9.7 h	59	2,428 m
18	Specific	9.9 h	60	2,433 m
19	Specificrecovery	7.7 h	50	1,557 m
20	Specific	10.2 h	62	2,610 m
21	Specific	10.6 h	65	2,640 m
22	Specific	10.9 h	66	2,797 m
23	Taper	6.9 h	45	1,564 m
24	Taper	3.6 h	28	416 m
25	Race week	2.9 h	24	90 m

Sample week — week 14 (Build)

Real sessions from the plan with their targets. Each session is detailed step by step, and can be sent to a Garmin or COROS watch.

TuesdayModerate
3 × (8 min climb + 4 min descent)
51 min · 6 km
FridayEasy
56 min easy
56 min · 7.5 km
SaturdayEasy
Back-to-back long run
2 h 04 · 12 km
SundayEasy
Long run 5 h 03
5 h 03 · 30 km

Example generated for a intermediate-level profile (MAS 15 km/h, 4 days available per week). Your plan will depend on your level, availability and feedback.

This plan’s check-up

Pass with remarks

A 25-week build (recommended minimum: 20); a longest run never more than 10% above the previous month’s; volume rising at most 8% from one week to the next; 96% of the time at easy effort; the longest session 3 weeks before the race; a taper cutting volume by 74% in race week.

1 worth a look · 2 worth knowing · 15 checks passed

Remarks

Climbing in the busiest week — The busiest week climbs only 2797 m, for 11500 m on race day.
Strength training — No strength session.
Fueling — Long sessions (up to 360 min in this plan) are where race fueling is rehearsed.

The 15 checks passed, in detail

Length of the build — 25 weeks: enough for this race (recommended minimum: 20).
Sessions per week — 4 sessions a week: the minimum for this race is met.
Volume progression — Running volume rises at most 8% from one week to the next (a signal appears beyond 20%).
Long run increase — Each week, the longest run is at most 10% longer than the longest of the previous month (benchmark: 10%).
Lighter weeks — A lighter week comes back regularly (weeks 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23).
Intensity distribution — About 96% of the time at easy effort: the most common distribution among trained endurance athletes.
Demanding sessions — No more than 2 demanding session(s) a week: suited to the level.
Hard days back to back — Demanding sessions are separated by easy days.
Rest days — At least one rest day a week.
Climbing in training — The plan prepares the climbs and descents (32 sessions with elevation).
Timing of the longest session — The longest session falls 3 weeks before the race: the right time.
Taper — Volume drops 74% in race week.
Intensity during the taper — Short race-pace efforts remain in the last two weeks.
Frequency during the taper — The number of sessions stays close to usual (88%).
Back-to-back long runs — The plan has back-to-back long runs (9 weekends).

Endu runs its own plans through the plan check open to everyone: same public rules, same thresholds, same sources. The rules and their sources, and a check of your own plan.

Why this plan works

Science-based periodisation

Base → build → specific → taper, with a recovery week every 3 to 4 weeks. Load goes up, but never two hard weeks in a row without a breather.

Paces, not vague feelings

Every session has target zones (pace, HR) computed from your MAS or a reference performance. A MAS test is built into the plan if you don't know yours.

Elevation as the central variable

Weekly climbing volume, long hilly runs, downhill technique and power-hiking for ultras: a trail plan is not a road plan with bumps.

A plan that listens

After each session you rate how it felt (RPE). Too hard? The plan eases what follows. Skipped a session? It reschedules or absorbs it.

On your watch

On Garmin with the Endu app, on COROS by direct sync: the guided workout shows up on your wrist, step by step.

Reviews

What our users say.

4.8/5

“I took Endu to prepare a trail race with friends. I really like having my week already organised: it motivates me and I enjoy my runs more.”
Émilie · Trail
“What I like is no longer asking myself a thousand questions before going for a run. I follow the plan and I enjoy training.”
Nicolas · Trail
“With work and the kids, I thought I’d struggle to follow a plan. In the end, having a structure helps me a lot. Running has found a real place in my week again, and it feels good!”
Julie · Trail
“I used to spend more time looking for a plan than following one. Now I have my sessions, I know what to do and I stick to it. Really glad I tried it.”
Thomas · Running
“Training for my first half marathon and honestly, I’m getting into it! I even look at my next sessions ahead of time, when before I was mostly looking for an excuse not to go out 😂”
Camille · Running
“Simple to follow and really handy with the watch. I start my session and off I go.”
Julien · Running
“A good find to prepare my swimrun! It’s nice to find a plan for this sport. I’ve recommended it to my teammate.”
Antoine · Swimrun
“I run more regularly and, above all, with more desire. For that alone, I’m delighted.”
Laura · Swimrun
“For triathlon, having all three sports in the same schedule really makes my life easier. I spend less time organising my training and I still enjoy following it just as much.”
Maxime · Triathlon
“At first I just wanted to try it. Now checking the next day’s session has become my little evening ritual 😊”
Sarah · Triathlon

Your plan, not a template athlete's

This plan is generated for an athlete at intermediate level with 4 days available per week. Yours will be calibrated on your MAS, your available days and your feedback after every session. 3 minutes. 14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Create my plan for Challenge du Montcalm