Author Archives: Doug Mayer

As we close out the year, we thought we’d share our five most-read and most-shared stories from 2020. With most plans upended, and nearly all of us spending much of our time at home, 2020 was a year to read, watch great films, and tackle other personal projects at home. So, we made time to share   Continue Reading →

On the morning of August 8th, 1897, ten guides from Chamonix’s Compagnie des Guides gathered next to the Saint Michel church. Their objective? A mountain race up and down the Brévent. It was, as far as historians can tell, Chamonix’s first trail race. The route, according to Chamonix’s Blog de Christine, went via Les Moussoux,   Continue Reading →

Since last March, I’ve heard that phrase a lot. “I’ll come out and visit you… when things get back to normal.” “I’ll make those plans… when things get back to normal.” Normal, however, was just a daydream amid a steady drumbeat of difficult news. 2020 has been a year that has tested all of us.   Continue Reading →

Together, these two sets of changes have given me peace of mind that we can offer trips that are as flexible as possible, and as safe as possible.

This past summer was unlike any other– many trips and events in our trail running world were cancelled or rescheduled due to the Covid-19 virus. But, when doors close, others open. That was certainly the case with this next story. Three member of Run the Alps– Founder Doug Mayer, Tour Manager Steph Lefferts, and Ambassador   Continue Reading →

Sierre-Zinal is one of the world’s great trail races. Starting in Switzerland’s famous Rhône valley, the course climbs steeply out of the valley for 1800 meters, then rolls along a striking ridge, with views of five glacier-covered 4,000-meter peaks, before ending in the quiet end-of-the-line village of Zinal, not far from the Italian border. Now   Continue Reading →

It has been, by any measure, a year of instability and change for the world. Run the Alps has not been unaffected. We’ve responded by researching and launching a number of new initiatives—more on that, right here, soon. Like you, I am sure, I’ve found it unsettling. My inner autopilot has sought out the familiar,   Continue Reading →

Here in the Alps, as elsewhere in the world, Covid-19 has disrupted plans. For Run the Alps, we opted early in the spring to cancel all our guided trips— now is a time for all of us to travel a bit less, and do our part to minimize the global pandemic. As I look back   Continue Reading →

The Ultraks trail races in Zermatt, Switzerland, launched in 2012, quickly established themselves as one of the marquee series of races in the Alps.  Taking place in late August, Matterhorn Ultraks features six courses ranging from a 900-meter long kid’s run to a tough 49 km Skyrace, all in the famously beautiful Zermatt valley. (The   Continue Reading →

As the founder of Run the Alps, I take feedback from our guests seriously. So, when we started consistently getting reviews that mentioned we should have a Director of Hospitality, I took note. We made recruiting strong candidates a top priority. Despite the challenges that Covid has thrown every international tour company this year, at   Continue Reading →