Paris-Brest-Paris: Everything You Need to Know

Paris-Brest-Paris is a 1,200km self-supported ride from Paris, to Brest in Brittany, and back again. First run in 1891, it is by most descriptions the oldest cycling event still in existence today, and the pinnacle of the audax and randonneuring calendar.  

The history, prestige, and challenge of PBP attracts riders from around the world, and the fact that it is only held every four years merely adds to the sense of occasion. This year, over 6,000 more riders will get their chance at completing this most historic of long-distance rides. If you intend on being one of them in the future, here is everything you need to know about the journey ahead…

A Brief History of Paris-Brest-Paris

In the spring of 1891, a 600km bicycle race running from Paris to Bordeaux was held in France. Billed as the longest, hardest test of endurance for both man and machine, it captured the imagination of the French public, and any newspaper coverage of the event was eagerly consumed. Noticing the rise in sales attributable to the race, one entrepreneurial editor, Pierre Griffard of Le Petit Journal, was quick to announce an even longer, harder race; the 1,200km Paris-Brest-Paris, which was to be held under the Le Petit Journal name later that same year.

400 entered, 200 started, and 100 finished that inaugural first edition of PBP in 1891. The winner was Charles Terront, a new-found darling of the French public, who arrived back in Paris after 72 hours of riding to a cheering crowd of thousands.

Such was its difficulty that PBP wasn’t held again for ten years, but organisation was taken on by another savvy newspaper editor, Henri Desgrange, in 1901, with Maurice Garin the victor on the road. Two years later, Desgrange would go on to organise the first-ever Tour de France, and Garin would win that too.
The 1911 and 1921 editions came and went, but in 1931 it was announced that the touriste-routieres, a category of amateur enthusiasts that – unlike professionals like Maurice Garin – were not allowed support along the way, would not be welcome to the event. There was public outcry, such that Audax Club Parisien, the administrating body central to the randonneuring discipline of cycling, felt the need to act.

ACP moved quickly, and announced that it would be organising a 1,200km brevet event – from Paris to Brest, and back – on exactly the same day as the professional race. In this new randonneur, riders had 96 hours to complete the course, and unlike the pro race, it was open to all (women included) who met the qualifying regulation of having completed a 300km brevet. 60 riders participated in that first-ever Paris-Brest-Paris randonneur in 1931, and the blueprint for the future had been set.

The professional race was held for the last time in 1951; its August calendar slot in failing competition with the lucrative series of criterium races held across Europe in the weeks after the Tour de France. A rival organising body to Audax Club Parisien, the Union des Audax Francais, held yet another version of the Paris-Brest-Paris (audax-style, in which all participating riders started and finished in one huge group) just one day after the randonneur for much of the 20th century. The two factions briefly joined together to celebrate the centenary edition of PBP in 1991, but the UAF audax-style version remains the more obscure sibling, and is still held every five years, with the next due in 2021.

In 2019, another change came in the fact that (short) aero handlebar extensions were permitted on bikes for the first time. Some decried the ruling, seeing it as a slap in the face of tradition for this most historic event. But really, the tradition of Paris-Brest-Paris has always been one of change. Indeed, perhaps that’s the very reason it is still alive today. The rules appear to suggest that full-length aero handlebar extensions are allowed at PBP 2023; “For safety reasons, the use of extenders is strongly disadvised in the peloton”.

Route

Paris-Brest-Paris is a 1,200km ride from Paris, to Brest in Brittany on France’s Atlantic coast, and back to Paris.

From the start in Rambouillet, a town 20km southeast of the city proper, the route heads west, into Île-de-France. Depending on their start wave, riders will be negotiating the first few kilometres of the ride in either the fading sun on the evening of the 18th August, or the first light of day on the morning of the 19th.

Historically, the PBP route followed the main road from Paris to Brittany (now the N12), but now follows quieter roads running alongside it, through quaint Bretagne towns of stone and bloom, full of cheering spectators. The terrain is rolling, the roads often straight and seemingly endless, and the threat of wind rolling in over the coast perpetual.

Riders must pass through a series of controls (listed below) on the 600km outward leg to Brest, before an about turn sees them return along the same route back to Paris. Each of the controls must be ticked off again in reverse order, as well as two additional controls (Mortagne-au-Perche and Dreux) in the final stretch before the finish.

What’s it Like to Ride?

How to Enter

PBP is gaining in popularity every year, and as such, there is a lengthy registration and entry process that ensures only the most dedicated of entrants will be on the start line come August. Riders who have completed official BRM (Brevets de Randonneurs Mondieux) events in the year preceding PBP will be given priority, being granted the ability to start their application early and ‘pre-register’ from 14th January 2023. Registration proper will open up on 27th May 2023, and providing that the field limit hasn’t been reached, will be open to all – regardless of whether you’ve done a BRM event the previous year. 

Registration process

Use this timeline to work out when you can start your application, and what to do thereafter. All registrations must be completed through the portal on the PBP website, which can be found here. 

Pre-Registration

Pre-registration opens from  noon (French time) on the 14th of January 2023, and is open to riders who have completed a BRM event in the previous year. Pre-registering allows riders to guarantee their place at PBP 2023 – so long as they go on to complete the required qualification rides explained later.

14th January 2023 – Pre-registration opens for riders who completed a 1,200km BRM event between November 2021 and October 2022.  

28th January 2023 – Pre-registration opens for riders who completed a 600km BRM event between November 2021 and October 2022.  

11th February 2023 – Pre-registration opens for riders who completed a 400km BRM event between November 2021 and October 2022.  

25th February 2023 – Pre-registration opens for riders who completed a 300km BRM event between November 2021 and October 2022.  

March 11th 2023 – Pre-registration opens for riders who completed a 200km BRM event between November 2021 and October 2022.  

If you qualify for pre-registration, and submit your application by the required date, congratulations; you have a place reserved at the 2023 PBP, way before the field limit has been reached. However, there is work still to do: You will need to confirm your place by initiating the qualifying process explained below by 20th June at the latest, and complete it by 2nd July.  

Pre-registration is €30. It is not refundable in the event that you do not complete your application, but it will be deducted from the full registration fee if and when you complete your qualification and registration.

27th May 2023 – Qualifying opens for pre-registered riders. 

Even if you pre-registered, you will still need to complete the full qualification process (outlined below) like everyone else. However, you get the chance to commence it earlier, and get first pick on which starting wave you roll out in.

1st June 2023 – Qualifying opens for all.  

To qualify for PBP, all riders must complete a Super Randonneur series of BRMs (200, 300, 400, 600km) in 2019. The series does not need to be completed in order of ascending distance, nor in the same country, but you do need to do all of them. You can find all the recognised qualifying rides here.  

You do not need to have pre-registered in order to start your application at this stage (but priority will be given to pre-registered riders should the field reach its limit). A live counter in the header of the PBP website shows how many places are still left to be allocated for each start time, so keep and eye on the figure and make sure you don’t get left out.

Strangely, you can actually register for PBP 2019 before  you have completed the qualifying rides. However, details of any missing qualification events must be provided before qualifying closes – or you’ll lose your ticket to ride.

Entry will be confirmed as soon as registration and payment (€130-€150) have been completed.  

18th June 2023 – Pre-registered riders must begin full registration process.

If you pre-registered to guarantee your place at PBP, you must begin the qualification/registration process proper by 18th June, or you will forfeit the place that has been reserved for you.

2nd July 2023 – Qualifying closes for all.  

18th-19th August 2023 – Riders must check-in before the event at Bergerie Nationale, at the start in Rambouillet.  

One final check-in before the big start: Make sure you sign on at the event headquarters in Rambouillet. Once that’s done, the only admin you need to worry about is getting that brevet card stamped.

20th August 2023 – Event start.

Preparation

With so much effort having already gone into getting a place alone, most riders want to have the best ride they can when the event itself rolls around.

This ultimately comes down to two factors; making sure your body and bike are in the best condition possible. To help you make it to the start line without a worry, we’ve put together some useful guides for long-distance riding. Use them as a guide to start with, then combine what you learn with the experiences you’ll gain from all the qualifying events, and you’ll be ready for each and every one of the 1,200 kilometres.

How to Pack for an Ultra-Distance Cycling Event

How to Train for an Ultra-Distance Cycling Event

Apidura Ultra-Racing Manual