Paris-Brest-Paris

Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) is the oldest and most prestigious event in randonneuring. First run in 1891 as a professional race, it has been a randonneur event since 1931 and is held every four years. The next edition takes place August 22 to 26, 2027. PBP draws thousands of riders from around the world to ride 1,200 km from Rambouillet (near Paris) to Brest on the Atlantic coast and back again.

This guide covers everything you need to know: how to qualify, how registration works, how to prepare through the season, what to expect on the road, and the rules and regulations that apply. Whether you are seriously considering PBP or just curious about what it involves, start here.

Qualifying for PBP

The first question most riders ask is "can I do this?" The answer is yes, if you can complete a Super Randonneur series. To enter PBP 2027, you must finish a 200, 300, 400, and 600 km BRM in the qualifying period, which runs from November 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Each distance must be completed exactly. You must be at least 18 years old on the day of departure.

Planning Your Season

The qualifying season is busy, and popular events fill up quickly. A good plan starts months before your first brevet and builds progressively toward PBP.

• By mid-January of PBP year, you should be comfortable riding 100 to 150 km and getting out regularly, ideally every week. Build distances gradually through the season rather than jumping straight to a 600
• Check the Audax Ireland calendar as soon as it is published and register for events early, especially the 400 and 600 km rides which have fewer dates available
• Complete your SR series early in the season if possible. Do more than the minimum four qualifying events if you can. Extra rides give you a buffer if something goes wrong, and build confidence and fitness
• Have a backup plan. If your 600 is in June and you DNF, is there another 600 on the calendar before the registration deadline of July 4?
• Consider doing a 1000 km event if one is available. It is not required, but the experience of multi-day riding and sleep management is invaluable preparation for PBP
• Train on the bike you will ride at PBP, carrying what you expect to carry in France. There is no point training on a stripped-down race bike and then adding 10 kg of lights, mudguards, and spare clothes for the event
• Three to four weeks before PBP, do a hard ride with your full PBP kit, then taper your distances as you get closer to the start
• Arrive in France with time to spare before the start rather than after the finish. Last-minute arrivals leave no room to resolve unexpected problems

Registration

PBP 2027 registration is handled through the official PBP website in two phases. The total number of starters is limited to 8,000, with 2,500 places reserved for French riders until March 31, 2027. Payment is via PayPal only. Your choice of start wave is made at pre-registration. Understanding the timeline matters because places are allocated first-come, first-served and popular waves fill up.

Phase 1: Pre-registration (Jan to Mar 2027)

Pre-registration opens progressively based on the longest BRM you completed in the 2025/2026 season (November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026). The longer your ride, the earlier you can pre-register and secure your preferred start wave. Pre-registration is not mandatory, but places are limited to 8,000 and allocated first-come, first-served, so skipping it risks missing out. It costs €50 (non-refundable, but deducted from the final registration fee). Unpaid pre-registrations are cancelled after three days. You can change your start wave later, subject to availability.

For multi-rider vehicles (tandems), the rider who completed the longest BRM initiates the pre-registration so their co-rider(s) get the same priority.

Phase 2: Final Registration (May to Jul 2027)

Final registration opens May 29, 2027 (noon, French time). You can register as soon as you have completed at least 3 of your 4 qualifying BRMs. Your place is confirmed when payment is accepted. The deadline is July 4, 2027 at 11:59pm (French time). Applications not completed by then are closed and the rider is considered non-registered.

Pre-registrations not confirmed by June 12, 2027 are cancelled and those departure slots are released. Riders who did not pre-register can register directly from May 29 in any wave with remaining places.

Cancellation

Registrations cancelled before the refund cutoff date receive a refund minus €50. After that date, no refund is available. Check the official regulations for the exact deadline, as published sources differ on the specific date. If the organisers cancel the event due to unforeseen circumstances, the registration fee is refunded less expenses already incurred.

Tips for First-Timers

The planning is done, you are qualified, and you are registered. These tips are about the event itself: how to ride it, fuel it, and finish it. Most of this advice comes from riders who have been there and learned the hard way.

Comfort and Bike Fit

The most important factor in finishing a long-distance event is being comfortable on your bike. The majority of non-finishes are due to problems with hands, knees, feet, neck, and saddle contact. Your points of contact take an unavoidable hammering over four long days in the saddle, so getting your bike fit right is critical. Use your qualifying events to test and refine this. The entire route is on asphalt, so road tyres are fine. If your bike accepts 28 mm or wider, use them for the extra comfort.

Nutrition

Your body behaves differently after 300 km than it does on a Sunday spin. Use your qualifying events to figure out what works for you before PBP.

• Your digestion is likely to do funny things after 300 km. Experiment during your qualifying rides so there are no surprises in France
• Food is available for purchase at all controls: ham baguettes are a staple, but hot food and pasta are usually available too
• Practice drinking enough to avoid dehydration. Work out whether you prefer water, electrolytes, or a mix

Pacing and Group Riding

PBP is not a race, but the excitement of the start can make it feel like one. Pacing yourself is one of the most important things you can get right.

• Ride your own ride. It is easy to get swept up in the excitement and go too fast in the first 200 km, leading to a blow-up later
• Riding in a well-matched group can dramatically reduce the work you put in, but be cautious about committing to ride with others unless you know their pace suits yours. At PBP each rider is riding their own event, and if one person needs to sleep or has mechanicals, it affects the whole group
• The outward leg to Brest is generally harder (more climbing, headwinds from the Atlantic). Save energy for the return

At the Controls

Controls are where time disappears. Having a routine helps you get in and out efficiently without wasting your buffer.

• Have a routine: get your card stamped, fill water bottles, toilet, food, and sleep if needed, then get moving
• PBP is probably the only Audax event where the route is marked by arrows, which makes navigation much easier than a typical brevet. But still study the route beforehand
• You do not need to carry much. There are regular controls providing food and somewhere to sleep (though not all controls offer both). Bag drops are not currently planned for PBP 2027, so pack accordingly

Mindset

PBP is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. How you think about the ride matters as much as how you train for it.

• Define what success means to you before you start. For some it is finishing within a specific time, for many it is simply getting to the finish within the time limit. The most important thing is to do your best
• Once you start, commit to finishing. Even finishing out of time is much better than abandoning, and riding your bike to the finish is often the easiest way to get there
• If you have done your preparation, there is no reason you cannot finish. Do not let one bad patch convince you otherwise
• Learn some basic French phrases. The volunteers at controls are incredibly welcoming but not all speak English

What to Expect When You Arrive

You have trained all season, qualified, and made it to France. Here is what the experience is actually like, from the festival atmosphere at the start to the finish line in Rambouillet.

Before the Start

The day before departure is about collecting your rider pack and soaking in the atmosphere. The start village at Rambouillet has a festival feel, with food, bike shops, and riders from dozens of countries.

• Collect your rider pack (brevet card, frame badge, reflective vest, tracking chip) the day before departure. You must be present at least one hour before your departure time on the day
• Start control takes place at the castle park of Rambouillet, 30 to 60 minutes before each wave. Lighting, reflective vest, helmet, and tracking device are checked. Failure of any one of these is sufficient reason to refuse or postpone departure. See bike rules and equipment requirements for full details
• Official vehicles lead riders through the first kilometres. Overtaking them is forbidden and incurs a penalty

On the Road

Once you leave Rambouillet, you are on the road for the next three to four days. The route passes through small French towns where locals come out to cheer riders through the night. This is one of the most memorable aspects of PBP.

• Controls are staffed around the clock with hot food, sleeping areas, and bike mechanics
• Sleep management is critical for the 90-hour group. Most riders sleep 2 to 4 hours total, either at controls or in short roadside naps
• Navigation is straightforward. The route is marked with coloured arrows (different colours for outward and return legs), though arrows can occasionally fall or disappear. Carry a GPS with the route downloaded as backup
• Weather in Brittany in August can range from hot sun to cold rain. Pack for all conditions

The Finish

Crossing the finish line in Rambouillet is a moment most randonneurs never forget. You receive your finisher's medal, your time is recorded, and you join thousands of riders who have completed one of cycling's greatest challenges. The result is homologated by ACP and recorded permanently in the PBP archives. A meal at the finish line is included in your registration.

How It Works

This section covers the mechanics of the event: start waves, time limits, and how the format works. Riders start in waves from Rambouillet and must reach Brest before the control closes, then return within the overall time limit. The route passes through official controls where riders check in, eat, and rest. It is a free-paced event with no classification and no outside support except as permitted by the organisers.

Start Waves and Time Limits

Riders choose a start wave at pre-registration. Each wave has a specific time limit and may have conditions on bike type or rider. Women may register in any wave, not just the dedicated Wave F.

Most first-time PBP riders choose the 90-hour group (Waves G to U). The 80-hour waves attract experienced randonneurs aiming for a faster finish, while the 84-hour group on Monday morning sits in between. All groups ride the same route. Riders start in waves of around 300, released at 15-minute intervals.

The Route and Controls

The route runs from Rambouillet to Brest and back, passing through official controls:

• Outward: Rambouillet (start) → Villaines-la-Juhel → Fougères → Tinténiac → Pontivy → Pleyben → Brest
• Return: Callac → Loudéac → Tinténiac → Roz-sur-Couesnon/Pleine Fougères → Fougères → Villaines-la-Juhel → Mortagne-au-Perche → Chartres → Rambouillet (finish)

There may also be secret controls on both legs. Riders must stay on the official route at all times as insurance cover is invalid if you deviate. Each control has opening and closing times (the same for all riders regardless of wave). Your only individual deadline is your finish time in Rambouillet: 80, 84, or 90 hours after your start. Most controls offer food and sleeping areas, but not all, so check the stages chart before the event.

Bike Rules

Any bike with two or three wheels, steered by a handlebar and propelled by muscle power via a chain transmission, may be used. The bike must not exceed one metre wide. Electric bikes are forbidden. Key requirements (see also equipment requirements):

• Lighting must be powerful enough to be seen at 100 m from the front and 150 m from the rear, permanently fixed to the bike (even during daytime), and in working order at all times. Flashing rear LEDs are forbidden. Backup lights are strongly recommended
• Aerobars are fully allowed. The organisers recommend not using them when riding behind someone, so you can react quickly to emergency braking
• A frame badge with your rider number must remain attached to the bike throughout the ride
• Recumbent riders are advised to add a chain guard, a left-side mirror, and a safety flag with reflective stripes at least 1.40 m above ground
• Faired bikes must have reflective stripes at the front, back, and sides

ACP recommends testing your equipment on at least a 400 or 600 km event using the same bike you plan to ride at PBP. See comfort and bike fit for more on this.

Equipment Requirements

• A hard-shell helmet must be worn throughout the event
• High-visibility clothing complying with French regulations is mandatory during night riding and poor visibility. The official PBP reflective vest is provided to all participants and its use is strongly recommended
• If your vest is hidden (e.g. by a backpack or on a recumbent), ensure you have additional reflective material
• Light-coloured clothing is recommended for night riding
• Professional cycling team jerseys are prohibited. Randonneuring club jerseys, the official PBP jersey, or other RM event jerseys are recommended

Rider Tracking and Validation

Before the start, each rider receives a brevet card (logbook) and a magnetic tracking chip. You must personally ensure your card is validated at every control, both official and secret. Loss of both the brevet card and tracking device, or missing/incomplete validation at any control, results in disqualification.

Support Vehicles

Support vehicles are forbidden on the riders' official route. If you want one, you must declare it at registration. A separate route is provided for support vehicles, and you may only meet yours at checkpoints and within 5 km of them, except around Roz-sur-Couesnon/Pleine-Fougères where vehicle assistance is totally forbidden. Undeclared assistance means disqualification. Declared assistance outside the vehicle route incurs a 5-hour penalty, and the mere presence of a declared vehicle off the reserved route incurs a 2-hour penalty.

Finishing and Homologation

A brevet will not be homologated in less than 40 hours regardless of actual riding time (roughly 30 km/h average). Arriving at the final control beyond the time limit but before Friday August 27 at noon results in an "Out of time" status. The organisers will still be in Rambouillet several hours after the final deadline to welcome you, so if you are close, keep riding. All participants with a duly completed brevet card receive a medal with their approved time, including any penalties. Riders with "Out of time" status also receive a medal, but those who abandon do not.

If you withdraw during the ride, you must report it to a controller or organiser who signs your logbook indicating abandonment. Your frame plate is removed and kept.

What's Included in Registration

The registration fee (amount to be confirmed) includes:

• Official water bottle and retro-reflective vest
• Luggage storage at the start and a meal at the finish
• Brevet card, frame badge, document pouch, and rider tracking
• Souvenir medal (if you finish before facilities close)
• Arrow signs on the course, supervision by official vehicles, and first aid

Catering and accommodation costs en route, and repatriation costs in case of DNF, are the rider's responsibility. FFCT licence holders for 2027 receive a €20 discount.

Insurance

Riders participate at their own risk. You must have personal insurance including medical assistance and repatriation. The organisers' civil liability policy covers damage to third parties but not to your own bike or equipment.

Further Reading

Audax Ireland members have written about their PBP experiences over the years. These are well worth reading for practical insight and inspiration:

• Paris-Brest-Paris 2019
• Paris-Brest-Paris 2015
• Paris-Brest-Paris 2011
• PBP 2011: The View from the Front
• PBP Planning
• A to Z of PBP, a comprehensive series covering everything from accommodation to zip ties

Information sourced from the official PBP 2027 regulations. Regulations are revisable until August 2027. Always check the official PBP website for the latest information.