Run Fast. Eat Slow. with Elyse Kopecky in Chamonix
Dates | Duration |
|---|---|
| Aug 19, 2025 - Aug 25, 2025 | 7 days - 6 nights |
Run the Alps is excited to offer an Alps trail running retreat with three-time New York Times Bestselling author Elyse Kopecky. Her books “Run Fast. Eat Slow,” “Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow,” and “Rise & Run” have transformed how we think about the intersection of food and sports.
Join Elyse and other like-minded women for a trail running and culinary adventure in the heart of the Alps. You’ll make wonderful friends and memories on this retreat, taking in the trails of Chamonix, France.
Elyse is well-known and much adored for her bestselling cookbooks on improving running performance and long-term health and happiness. We’ll explore the best trails of the region while eating well and taking in classic alps culture. We’ll be running 11-19 km (7-12 miles) and climbing 915-1500m (3,000-5,000ft) each day on this tour, often on technical rocky trails. We’ll have multiple guides, which gives you the option to shorten or lengthen the run most days. Elyse will give a talk on nutrition and take us through run warm-up and stretching sessions. Chef-catered meals will feature local specialties and Run Fast. Eat Slow. favorites including Superhero Muffins at breakfast to fuel your day.
She will be joined by Run the Alps trail running guides who are some of the best and most knowledgeable in the region. We’ll even have a special evening visit with Chamonix local and Black Diamond professional athlete Hillary Gerardi, one of the world’s top runners on highly technical, Skyrunning terrain.
Chamonix is the world capital of trail running with a wide range of beautiful trails. Dramatic mountain gondolas provide options for when we want to take it easier on a climb or descent. We’ll stay in tranquil deluxe chalets in Chamonix, where nourishing meals will be cooked by a guest chef. We’ll also head out to sample the local cuisine and atmosphere, as well as enjoy a wine-tasting session.
As part of the adventure, we’ll climb into the mountains to have lunch at 2200m (7,200ft) at a mountain refuge right on the French-Swiss border.
Please note: Day-to-day itinerary is subject to change based on weather conditions. All route distances and vertical are approximate.
Header photos: Sam Hill
Book this tour
$6,640/person Single Occupancy
Itinerary
Welcome to Chamonix, France! (Photo: Kim Strom)
Day 1
You’ll arrive at the Geneva, Switzerland airport and take a 90-minute shared shuttle to Chamonix, France where you can settle into our chalet accommodations and get to know each other.
Hillary Gerardi joins us for dinner tonight. (Courtesy photo)
Day 2
We’ll take in a high alpine path, the Grand Balcon Nord, beneath the granite spires of the Mont Blanc range. The descent to Chamonix winds down through forest, or you can ride the legendary Aiguille du Midi cable car down to town!
Running up to the Col de Tricot. (Photo: Sam Hill)
Day 3
We’ll run part of the Tour du Mont Blanc today, crossing the Col de Tricot, and a suspension bridge over the meltwater of the Bionnassay glacier.
This evening we’ll head into Chamonix for another top-notch culinary experience, this time sampling some traditional Savoyard cuisine.
Elyse Kopecky Chamonix Trail Tour 2023. (Photo: Sam Hill)
Day 4
We’ll travel beyond the Col des Montets at the top of the Chamonix valley and take in the Berard Valley and its beautiful waterfalls. We descend on wide trails to an authentic traditional French restaurant.
Refuge du Col de Balme- a good stop for tarts. (Photo: Sam Hill)
Day 5
We’ll fast-hike up to the panoramic summit of the Aiguillette de Posettes, then run through high meadows to the Swiss border – where we can take a break at the mountain refuge conveniently situated right on the border!
Wine tasting as a day on the trails. (Photo: Sam Hill)
Day 6
We’ll run the Grand Balcon Sud – an iconic, winding single track traverse facing the enormity of the Mont-Blanc massif.
Tonight we’ll have a wine-tasting featuring wines of the Alps.
Headed home. (Photo: Sam Hill)
Day 7
It’s time to head our separate ways after a breakfast of french baguettes and croissants at our chalets.
Regional map
What's included
6 nights at a deluxe chalet (either shared ensuite room with twin beds, or a single occupancy ensuite room). All dinners, lunches, breakfasts, trail snacks, roundtrip shared shuttle from Geneva Airport to Chamonix, wine tasting, in-tour lifts, trains, and taxis, license-free photography, Run the Alps certified trail running guides, unique welcome package, special evening talk with champion Skyrunner Hillary Gerardi, Run the Alps' Guide to Trail Running in the Alps and additional supporting materials.Plan to arrive the day your tour starts, at the latest. Note that flights from the US usually arrive on the following day, so schedule accordingly. The closest airport is Geneva, Switzerland. This tour includes a shared shuttle airport pickup at Geneva airport.
For those wanting to spend a few extra days in Chamonix, the “Vallée du Trail” with over 500 kilometers of trail running, we can assist in extending your time and providing self-guided trail running materials, either before or after your tour.
Plan your departure for the day the tour ends at the earliest. Geneva airport is only ninety minutes away by shuttle, so it is possible to leave the day the tour ends as long as your flight’s departure is not before 10 am. If you do need to depart earlier, a private shuttle can typically be arranged at a cost of $240.
Not Included: Flights to and from Geneva; Drinks with dinner; Tip for guides.
Terms and Conditions: Read up on Run the Alps’ Terms and Conditions and travel insurance.
Concerned about being ready? We can help! We’ve teamed up with the wonderfully supportive team at Vert.run to offer customized training plans tailored to each Run the Alps trip. Once you’ve signed up for a trip, we’ll email you all the details and your unique code for your FREE first month of training! In the meantime, you can start exploring the plans here.
Tour Balance: Your tour balance is due 90 days before your tour starts. We will send you an invoice about a month before that due date. However, you can pay your balance at any time. If you’d like the simplicity of paying in full sooner, or would like to pay in installments, please contact us.
Guides for this Tour
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Book this tour
$6,640/person Single Occupancy
