Run Fast. Eat Slow. With Elyse Kopecky in Switzerland

We’re excited to offer another one of our popular Alps trail running retreats 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 Swiss Alps. You’ll make wonderful friends and memories on this retreat, taking in the trails of Switzerland’s mountainous, glacier-filled Valais region on the border with France and Italy.

Elyse is well-known for her bestselling cookbooks on improving running performance and long-term health and happiness. On this level 3 tour, we’ll explore the best trails of the region while eating well and taking in classic alps culture. With daily runs of 19 to 27 kilometers (12-17 miles), and a minimum of 900 meters (3,000 feet) of climbing, often on technical trails, this tour would best suit those with a good level of fitness and prior trail running experience. There will be a chance to take rest days if you like. During the tour, Elyse will share advice on nutrition and lead run warm-up and stretching sessions. Run the Alps trail running guides, who are some of the best and most knowledgeable in the Alps, will keep you safe and informed throughout the tour.

Our tour starts in Zinal, a village at the high end of the beautiful Val d’Anniviers, just south of the Rhône valley, in French-speaking Switzerland. The centuries-old wooden chalets of this traditional farming village show its rich history. Today, Zinal is known as a year-’round sports paradise. There are wonderful options for trail running, including the course of the internationally-noted Sierre-Zinal trail race. We’ll run our favorite sections of this famous race, follow trails to azure mountain lakes and glaciers, and visit nearby Grimentz, widely considered one of the most picturesque villages in Switzerland. 

After three days in Zinal, we’ll take a private taxi to Zermatt in German-speaking Switzerland, via a stop at the historic spa town of Leukerbad, ringed by mountains. We’ll climb the improbable trail up to the Gemmi pass – taking part in one of the world’s unique trail events– the timed Gemmi challenge, if you like! After lunch at a mountaintop cafe, we’ll descend from the pass on foot or take the gondola down to Leukerbad. 

Our last few days will be spent in Zermatt, the famous mountain resort at the foot of the Matterhorn. There is a wide array of beautiful trails here, and dramatic mountain gondolas provide options if we want to take it easier on a climb or descent. We’ll stay in a luxurious hotel in a quiet spot just five minutes from the center of this car-free town, and we’ll be sure to sample the local Swiss-German cuisine.

Please note: Day-to-day itinerary is subject to change based on weather conditions. All route distances and vertical are approximate.

_{Header photos: Lindsay Wozney, PatitucciPhoto, Mark Brightwell, Becki Penrose}