In June, Run the Alps’ friend David Loutzenheiser visited the Dolomites mountains of northern Italy and took part in the Dolomiti Extreme race. David found an enthusiastic community and a warm welcome and, after running his 53km race, he had the chance to meet with race directors Paolo Franchi and Corrado De Rocco. He found   Continue Reading →

Simon Conroy is a Senior Guide for Run the Alps. You can read more about him, here. “Mummy, why is that man running in a dress?” It was a line I heard once, though it was probably uttered dozens of times as I ran this year’s Mont Blanc Marathon in Chamonix, France. To understand the   Continue Reading →

Trail des Dents du Midi’s full loop is now sold out for 2019– the earliest ever for the race. However, Run the Alps has access to entries as part of our September Chamonix-Champéry guided trip. You can read more about the trip, and race options, here. (And some spaces still remain for the Dents du   Continue Reading →

It’s three o’clock in the morning, and my partner Chase and I are running up Chamonix’s famous Vertical Kilometer, or “VK.” We sliced our way through spiderwebs, trudging up to the Planpraz finish with nothing to look at other than the dim circle radiating from our headlamps… but, we were on a mission. Now picture   Continue Reading →

The 2019 Mont Blanc Marathon series of races seemed to pass through the trail runner’s paradise of Chamonix as fast as the race winners themselves. The valley filled with an estimated 30,000 runners and supporters for a long weekend of racing… and then, come Monday, they scattered to the winds. As in years past, Run   Continue Reading →

Trail running shoes, steep foot paths, and great coffee: the perfect way to start your morning. One of the best parts about trail running in the Alps is the café culture that seems to frame every adventure. Whether you’re running to a chalet nestled above Grindelwald, Switzerland or planning your next route in a café   Continue Reading →

Guest article by Hayley Done Since moving to Montreux, Switzerland a couple of years ago, cyclist and triathlete Hayley Done started to feel the draw of the mountain trails. Last summer she entered her first trail race in nearby Anzère, perched above the Rhône Valley in the Swiss Canton of Valais. Here she talks through   Continue Reading →

The Swiss mountain town of Verbier is well-known as a ski resort, and the St-Bernard pass is famous for its dogs who used to rescue needy travelers on this high mountain crossing between Switzerland and Italy. However, this beautiful region in the Valais Canton of southwestern Switzerland is increasingly known for its exciting trail running   Continue Reading →

In the Alps, we’re lucky to have a number of impressively experienced and efficient helicopter rescue services. Their skill is legendary – just this past winter, a film of a French rescue helicopter performing a ‘Skate Support’ maneuver to rescue an injured skier near Chamonix, France, went viral. A month later at the foot of   Continue Reading →

Based in Bellingham, Washington, Run the Alps Ambassador and Nike trail running team member David Laney is a regular visitor to Chamonix, France. In the quiet off-seasons of spring and fall, it’s not uncommon for David to be spotted around town or on the trails. He’s gotten to know the UTMB® particularly well, having participated   Continue Reading →