Author Archives: Julia Maxwell

Coming to Chamonix to trail run? Here’s the inside scoop, with input from more than a dozen local trail runners.

It was nice to feel the pre-race butterflies again. The familiar feeling – nerves rising from the pit of my stomach – came on strong as I walked towards the bib pick-up in Sierre, a small town in the Swiss canton of Valais that borders France and Italy. The onset of pre-race jitters was both   Continue Reading →

I never thought I’d get the itch to do an ultra.  The trail races I grew up with were typically less than 10 miles, and four years of collegiate training for 6km cross-country and 5km on the track made trail racing of any distance beyond 10 km seem like a whole different world.  Besides, part   Continue Reading →

Just off the plane and looking for a way to wake up your legs? In Chamonix for a few hours and want a quick loop trail run right from town? Or maybe you’re looking for a recovery run, followed by lunch in a scenic spot? Here’s our recommendation: Chalet Floria. Okay… So, the fact is,   Continue Reading →

After four days of trail running from Courmayeur, Italy to Chamonix, France, on a guided Run the Alps trip, Run the Alps guest Albert Marino finished 36th in the Mont Blanc 23km trail race. This year was the 40th running of the competitive event, formerly known as the Cross du Mont Blanc. The race is   Continue Reading →

“Il est temps pour la fête! – It is time for the festival!” bellowed Olivier, one of the volunteer coordinators for Chamonix’s Marathon Du Mont Blanc. It was 10am on a Sunday morning, and we were stationed at the top of the Planpraz lift, on a high balcony just below the Aiguilles Rouges range, the   Continue Reading →

Editor’s Note: This summer, Run the Alps is pleased to have a staff writer, Julia Maxwell. Julia, aka JMax, will be writing about the Alps trail running scene throughout the region, from Courmayeur, Italy to Grindelwald, Switzerland. She’ll be based at Run the Alps’ home in Chamonix, France. Julia graduated from Stanford, where for four   Continue Reading →