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Staff

Abby Strauss-Malcolm

Abby Strauss-Malcolm

Lead Tour Designer
A bit about me

A spring backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail in the US as a teenager firmly planted the seed for outdoor adventure and appreciation.  My joy for the outdoors led professionally into outdoor education. Later, I made the switch to guiding in the southwest, which eventually led me to guiding in the Alps. I’m now rooted in New England, though I’m lucky enough to get over to the Alps each summer, exploring old favorites and new locations for our trips, too!

Anna McKenna

Anna McKenna

General Manager, The Hub
A bit about me

I grew up on the beautiful beaches of Australia and discovered the world of trail running in 2020, and it quickly became the driving force that now motivates me to explore new challenges and live in different parts of the world. I first visited Chamonix in the summer of 2022 and fell in love with the beautiful mountains and vibrant community. Since then, I have made it a point to spend summers working in Chamonix, embracing the breathtaking trails and connecting with like-minded individuals who share love for the outdoors.

Carrie Craig

Carrie Craig

Accounts Manager
A bit about me

I am an eager ultra and mountain runner, originally from Scotland. After spending many summer holidays exploring the Alps and realizing that the sky here can be blue for more than one consecutive day, I took the plunge in 2018 and quit my day job, moving to Chamonix, France to train for the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc. I’m still here, and the ore I spend in the Alps, the more I realize I have only just scratched the surface.

Doug Mayer

Doug Mayer

Founder
A bit about me

I’ve been playing in the mountains since I was a kid growing up in the US, breaking wooden cross-country skis on remote peaks in New Hampshire’s White Mountains with my older brothers. The ensuing years have been filled with adventures from the Alps to the Andes. The thought of a warm chocolate croissant and a friendly dog at the next mountain hut can make me run for hours.

Hillary Gerardi

Hillary Gerardi

Director of Social and Environmental Responsibility
A bit about me

Native of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, Appalachian Mountain Club’s White Mountain huts alum, Middlebury College graduate, and Adirondack Mountains enthusiast. Since leaving the US in 2011, I’ve made my home in the village of Servoz, in the Chamonix valley. At the suggestion of my partner, Brad, my initial plan was to come to ski for a season in 2010 and then head home…but more than a decade later, we’re still here!

Ian Mills

Ian Mills

Assistant Tour Manager
A bit about me

Having skied in the Alps when I was young, I have always had something of a fascination with mountains, but it’s only since moving to the region that this has developed into something much more involved!  I moved to the Alps with my family in 2017 and have since wondered why we took so long to make that decision. I have had a fantastic time throwing myself into everything that is on offer – skiing, hiking and a lot of trail running.

Isabella “Izzy” Mayer

Isabella “Izzy” Mayer

Director of Hospitality and Ambassador of Joy
A bit about me

I started life in France’s Loire Valley, on a quiet farm with a wonderful human couple and six brothers and sisters. At eight weeks, I hitched my star to an American living in Chamonix. My professional trail running goal is to get out and meet all of our Run the Alps guests. If you’re coming on a trip, I hope to meet you on the trail!

John Anderson

John Anderson

Consulting Physician
A bit about me

I grew up in the mountains of eastern Tennessee. We lived down a dirt road several miles outside of a small town, and my brother and I would pass the time wandering around in the woods. Eventually, this became more structured in the form of rock climbing and running, and I moved around the American West from Montana to Idaho to Colorado, finally landing in the Sierra Nevadas. Running, climbing, playing and racing in the mountains have provided me with some exceptional adventures exploring the globe.

Kim Strom

Kim Strom

Content Producer
A bit about me

For the last decade, I’ve been able to build my life around trail running and being in the mountains. That’s taken lots of crazy turns, but is always interesting. Running around the Alps led to co-authoring the Run the Alps Switzerland guidebook and partnering with PatitucciPhoto to create the online resource ALPSinsight. In 2022, I co authored Sierra Trail Runs, the trail running guidebook to California’s Eastern Sierra, another chance to wander lots of trails.

Leigh-Anne Burns

Leigh-Anne Burns

Chamonix Logistics Manager
A bit about me

Originally from Scotland, I found my love for exploring and running through career choices that took me around the world. Now exploring and running come first! Chamonix came into my life when I was lost and unsure about what I was doing. Now, I am lucky enough to call it my home – a place where I have found my tribe and my true inner self lives her best life.

Maarten Hendriks

Maarten Hendriks

Bernese Oberland Manager
A bit about me
I left a boring IT career in 2014 and I moved to Switzerland from the Netherlands, and have no regrets about it! Today, I’m a glorified stay-at-home dad, which means that as well as running our house and caring for three kids, I’m currently renovating and extending our house for ourselves and our guests. I also manage the rental of an apartment and studio that I renovated. I run a lot, and also do other sports like ski touring, cycling and nordic skiing. I love to be outside and try to make every day an adventure— you can often find me climbing trees or sledding in winter! My wife is the pediatrician in our village and I organize everything around her demanding job. Flexibility is a big part of my lifestyle, all of which seems to comes together with a lot of freedom, fun and yes, hard work.
Malcolm Pittman

Malcolm Pittman

Volunteer Proofreader
A bit about me

I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the proofreading job, including having plenty of spare time, being detail-oriented to the point of neurosis (and beyond), and being the brother-in-law of Run the Alps founder Doug Mayer.

Steph Lefferts

Steph Lefferts

Tour Manager
A bit about me

Although my dad had run countless ultras, the sport never interested me until my senior year of college. Since then, I have completed numerous ultras and continue to be inspired by pushing myself physically and mentally. My husband Mike and I moved to Annecy, France in 2019 and spent three amazing years playing in the Alps! We’ve relocated to Colorado, but make frequent trips to the Alps. If you come in the summer, we’ll probably cross paths!

Zach Dahlmer

Zach Dahlmer

Assistant Tour Designer
A bit about me

I’ve been passionate about helping others discover wild places for almost as long as I can remember. Growing up on Gloucester, Massachusetts rocky coast, one of my first jobs was working for an adventure camp taking kids hiking, climbing, rowing, and camping. After a handful of years as a sail-charter guide and a few years as a carpenter, I moved to Prescott, Arizona to finish my undergraduate degree in Adventure Education. From there I embarked on a six-year journey into guiding and teaching outdoors that led me through much of the southwestern U.S., the Caribbean, Mexico, and eventually to the Alps. After four seasons of Alps guiding, I moved into the planning end of the job!

Blog

5 Tips for Trail Running in the Alps from Training App Vert.run

5 Tips for Trail Running in the Alps from Training App Vert.run

Embark on your Alpine running adventure fully prepared with these essential tips from Vert.run–the Official Training partner of Run the Alps.

Guided

Chamonix Dream Team Trail Camp

Chamonix Dream Team Trail Camp

Run with Anna Frost, Mimmi Kotka and Meg Mackenzie! As friends of Run the Alps, this trio has come together for a special trip.

New gear

Run the Alps Salomon ADV Skin 12 Trail Running Vest

Run the Alps Salomon ADV Skin 12 Trail Running Vest

This is THE vest for trail running. No need to take our word for it- year after year, the Salomon ADV Skin has been the best-selling vest on the market. Period.