PBP · 1200 km in 90 hours
Paris–Brest–Paris training plan
Paris–Brest–Paris is the oldest and biggest 1200 km randonnée: around 1,200 km and roughly 11,000 m of climbing from the Paris region to Brest and back, every four years. This plan builds the durability and fueling you need to enjoy the return leg.
- Distance
- About 1,200 km
- Climbing
- Roughly 11,000 m
- Time limit
- 90 h (80 h and 84 h starts also exist)
- Qualifying
- Full 200, 300, 400 and 600 km BRM series
- Next edition
- August 2027
What a Paris–Brest–Paris demands
PBP is not hilly in the alpine sense, but it never stops rolling, and 1,200 km of short climbs adds up. Riders typically sleep little, in short blocks at controls, so the challenge is holding a sustainable pace and eating well on day three and four, on tired legs and little sleep.
Your qualifying brevets are part of the training. The plan below treats the long ride as the key session of the week, adds durability rides in Build, and moves to race-pace rehearsals and back-to-back days in Specialty. Ride your qualifiers as the long rides in those weeks.
If your season is planned around the qualifiers, set the plan date to your 600 km brevet first, then build a second plan from the 600 to PBP itself.
Sample 16-week Paris–Brest–Paris training plan
Generated by MeepMeep's plan builder for a rider training about 7 hours a week now, with a ceiling of 12 hours, five riding days and the long ride on Saturday. Race pace is set at about 66% of FTP, and Specialty adds back-to-back long days. Your own plan starts this week and ends on your event date.
Planned hours per week. Easier weeks are dimmed.
- Peak week
- 11.6 h
- Longest ride
- 4 h 30 min
- Phases
- 6
- Sessions
- 74
The phases
- Foundation · 3 wk
Easy volume and a gentle introduction to each kind of session.
- Base · 3 wk
Aerobic volume, tempo and low-cadence strength. The long ride grows steadily.
- Build · 4 wk
Sweet spot and threshold to raise FTP, plus durability long rides with efforts after a long pre-load.
- Specialty · 3 wk
Event rehearsal: race-pace long rides with full fueling, back-to-back days and a durability test.
- Taper · 2 wk
Volume drops by roughly half while intensity stays, so you arrive fresh.
- Event · 1 wk
Openers, carb-loading and the event itself.
Week by week
| Week | Phase | Sessions | Hours | Longest ride |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foundation | 5 | 7.0 h | 2 h 45 min |
| 2 | Foundation | 5 | 6.6 h | 2 h 45 min |
| 3 | Foundation | 5 | 7.2 h | 3 h |
| 4 | Base | 5 | 7.6 h | 3 h 15 min |
| 5 | Base | 5 | 8.4 h | 3 h 15 min |
| 6 | Base | 5 | 9.1 h | 3 h 30 min |
| 7 | Build | 5 | 8.5 h | 3 h 33 min |
| 8 | Build | 4 | 8.7 h | 3 h 53 min |
| 9 | Build | 5 | 9.7 h | 3 h 36 min |
| 10 | Build (easier week) | 5 | 5.5 h | 1 h 30 min |
| 11 | Specialty | 4 | 10.7 h | 4 h 15 min |
| 12 | Specialty | 4 | 11.1 h | 4 h 23 min |
| 13 | Specialty | 5 | 11.6 h | 4 h 30 min |
| 14 | Taper | 5 | 6.0 h | 2 h 45 min |
| 15 | Taper | 4 | 4.3 h | 2 h |
| 16 | Event | 3 | 2.2 h | 45 min |
A Build week (week 7)
| Day | Session | Structure | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Ramp Test | Ramp to exhaustion | 32 min |
| Wednesday | Endurance Builder | Steady endurance | 1 h 45 min |
| Thursday | VO2max Intervals | 5 × 4 min VO2max | 1 h 10 min |
| Saturday | Fatigued Threshold Outdoors: ride the pre-load easy, then do the efforts on a long climb or flat road. | 2.5 h endurance, then 3 × 10 min Threshold | 3 h 33 min |
| Sunday | Steady Endurance Ride | Steady endurance | 1 h 30 min |
A Specialty week (week 11)
| Day | Session | Structure | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Extended Sweet Spot | 2 × 30 min Sweet spot | 1 h 34 min |
| Thursday | Durability Test | 2 h endurance, then 20 min all-out | 2 h 43 min |
| Saturday | Extended Race Pace Ride with your full event setup and fueling. Outdoors is ideal — practise night riding and navigation if you can. | Steady endurance, short rises | 4 h 15 min |
| Sunday | Endurance Builder Back-to-back: ride on tired legs, keep it steady. Rehearses day 2 of your event. | Steady endurance | 2 h 10 min |
Paris–Brest–Paris training tips
- Train at your PBP pace, not your club-ride pace. The plan's race-pace rides hold about two-thirds of FTP with short rises, like the Breton rollers.
- Practise eating real food on the bike and at controls. Many riders struggle more with appetite than with legs on day three.
- Test your sleep strategy on the 600: how long you need, and how you ride after it.
- Use your winter indoor training for the work outdoor riding makes hard: steady durability blocks and the ramp and durability tests.
More: training durability, carbs per hour on long rides and saddle comfort.
Paris–Brest–Paris training questions
How many hours a week should I train for a Paris–Brest–Paris?
In this sample, weekly training starts around 7.0 h and peaks at 11.6 h in week 13, with an easier week after every three. Riders with more time can set a higher ceiling in the app; the plan never schedules more than the most hours you enter.
How long should my longest training ride be for a Paris–Brest–Paris?
The plan's longest indoor ride here is 4 h 30 min. Indoors, 5 to 6 hours is plenty: the work is steadier than outdoors and back-to-back days add the extra fatigue. Long outdoor rides and qualifying brevets can replace any long ride in the plan.
Can I train for a Paris–Brest–Paris indoors?
Yes, for most of the work. Indoor sessions are ideal for durability blocks, steady Zone 2 and tests, and they fit around work and family. Do some long rides outdoors with your event setup to practise navigation, night riding, stops and comfort.
How do I qualify for Paris–Brest–Paris?
You need to ride a full series of ACP-homologated BRM brevets (200, 300, 400 and 600 km) within the qualifying window before the event. Check the official PBP site for the current window, pre-registration dates and rules.
Make it your Paris–Brest–Paris plan.
Enter your date and the hours you have. The plan starts this week, never exceeds your cap, and you can move any session.
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