Cortina d'Ampezzo, set like a jewel in a crown of Dolomite mountains, will be your base camp for this highlight tour of some of our favorite trail runs in the area. You'll enjoy breathtaking trails in the Italian Dolomites with a private trail running guide for the day and get a chance to enjoy the comfort of a Cortina d'Ampezzo hotel by night. We've curated special routes where you'll visit classic landmarks such as the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Sorapiss Lake, the Cinque Torri, and many more that promise plenty of adventure for your days on the trail. With your Dolomites trail running guide you'll enjoy guided transport up to the highest peaks and trails in the region and enjoy rolling descents and moderate amounts of uphill climbing. There will be plenty of stops at famous Italian rifugios for coffees, pastries, and pasta. In your free evenings you can enjoy the culture and history of this northeastern corner of Italy by visiting museums, spas, lakes, vistas, and fabulous cafes and restaurants in your afternoons and evenings. This is our first Dolomites Runcation for all levels of runners. Learn more below!
Trip Difficulty:
Level 1 (Learn More at https://runcation.org/which-trip-is-right-for-me)
This retreat adventure is open to ages 15 and up of any pace and all levels. Please see detailed itinerary for mileage and elevation gain/loss per day. Optional 12-week training package available from an experienced running coach to ensure you're trained and ready to go for this adventure of a lifetime!
Trip Requirements:
This trip requires a minimum of 6 to run. Please do not purchase flights until confirming with retreat organizer.
Trip logistics of route planning, lodging, and transportation reservations
A 8:1 ratio of guide to participants
Double accommodation at a 3/4-star* hotel in Cortina d'Ampezzo for 4 nights
Double accommodation at a 4-star hotel in Alta Badia for one night including access to a wellness spa, indoor/outdoor saunas and jacuzzis, cold baths, complimentary aperitif and dessert bars
A full breakfast spread daily including coffees, teas, juices, fresh-baked pastries, cereals, fruits, yogurts, eggs, pancakes, and more
Baggage transport from accommodations
Transportation to and from Cortina to day trip trail run locations each day, including private vans, lift tickets, and entry fees
Trip packet with detailed info including packing and weather resources
Access to a personal trip WhatsApp group and community
Knowledgable mountain running guide and running coach along the entire route**
*depending on availability and size of group
**Please note, this Runcation includes private trail running guides during the trail running portion of the day from early morning until late afternoon. In your afternoons and evenings you will be unguided and free to explore!
International airfare
Alcoholic beverages, dinners, and lunch/snacks during the day
Travel Insurance
A small local city tourist tax to be paid in cash per person per day (usually 1-3 euros per person/day)
Trip Difficulty: Level 1
More Info Here on Trip Levels:
https://runcation.org/which-trip-is-right-for-me
Passport:
Must have a valid passport valid through 6 months upon date of travel.
Travel Insurance:
Must have travel insurance prior to start of trip.
Fitness/Pacing:
While there are guides to accommodate a variety of paces for attending runners, this trip requires participants to cover the mileage and elevation gain as described in the itinerary. While uphills are hiked, the flats and downhills must be jogged or ran (no pace requirement). Training for this trip is highly recommended, and you can participate in the 12-week group training program designed specifically for this trip as a package add-on to ensure you're able to tackle the trails and get maximum enjoyment of this running retreat!
Weather:
Although the weather in late summer is often ideal, weather in the mountains is variable and trail conditions are subject to change on an hourly basis! Route subjective to change based on the safety of conditions and climate of the trail.
Our trip will start early afternoon with a meet-and-greet and orientation meeting to meet the guides and go over the logistics and itinerary of the upcoming week! Your guide will get you checked in at the hotel. You’ll have the rest of the evening free to enjoy an optional flat shakeout run, take a walk, or enjoy the many restaurants in town.
Optional flat shakeout option available from hotel
Cortina 3/4-star hotel* with breakfast included
*depending on group size and availability
After a delicious breakfast with Italian coffees, pastries, cereals, fruits, eggs, and more, your guide will meet you at your hotel for your first day on the trails in the Dolomites. Your destination today is the famous Lago di Sorapis, famous for its turquoise blue waters surrounded by pale Dolomite limestone. It will be a day to acclimatize to the trails in the area with paths through forests opening to views of some of the mountain groups Cristallo, Popena, Cadini di Misurina and Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Enjoy views from the scenic alpine lake sitting under the “Dito di Dio” (“God’s Finger”) formation towering almost 9,000 feet above. On the way back you'll stop for a late lunch or snack before returning to Cortina.
~7-9 miles
+/- 2,500 feet elevation gain
Cortina 3/4-star hotel with breakfast included
Private transfer to and from guided run included
Day 3: After breakfast you'll get an early start to one of the most famous formations in the entire Dolomites. Along the way you'll pass Lago Misurina with the option for a short stop before continuing towards the Tre Cime, or "Three Towers." Your route for the day circumnavigates these massive limestone towers that shoot up into the sky. If you look closely you might spot climbers scaling the walls of these cliffs! You'll enjoy a rolling singletrack run with views of the towers as well as beautiful mountains that extend far into the distance. You'll have the chance to stop at an Italian rifugio along the way for a coffee or larger meal and arrive back into Cortina by the afternoon and continue exploring this Italian mountain town.
~9 miles
+/- 2,400 feet elevation gain
Cortina 3/4-star hotel with breakfast included
Private transfer to guided run included
Park entry fees included
Day 4: After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, your guides will meet you for an adventure to one of the most jaw-dropping mountain huts in the Dolomites. You'll bypass thousands of feet of climbing and be dropped off with views stretching back to Cortina and over into the surrounding valleys. Watch climbers and hikers scale the via ferrata up to the base and enjoy a coffee from the sun deck before the running starts! Today you'll enjoy some incredible downhill in a mixture of smooth and runnable fire roads to more technical terrain (at this point in the week you'll be ready for it)! You'll descend from the mountain crossing mountain passes famous amongst cyclists and finish with a singletrack trail through a meadow to enjoy lunch with a view! You'll make your way back to Cortina impressed by the transition of landscapes and culinary environments in this special place.
~ 8-10 miles (depending on group)
+/- 0-2,000 feet elevation gain (depending on route)
Cortina 3/4-star hotel with breakfast included
Private transfer to guided run included
Lift ticket and entrance fees included
Day 5: For your biggest day on the trail, you'll enjoy a breakfast in Cortina before your final big adventure on the trails. As you ascend out of town you'll pass waterfalls, fields of marmots, and the best cappuccino and apple strudel stop in the Dolomites. Celebrate the end of your climbing before running through towering formations and descending into the adjacent valley of Alta Badia. Your 4-star hotel for the evening has multiple spa treatments, saunas, jacuzzis, and wellness center amenities to enjoy along with an excellent bar and restaurant to celebrate your week in the Dolomites. Enjoy your evening in this special place!
~15 miles
+/- 3,200 feet
Alta Badia 4-star hotel with breakfast included
Private transfer to guided run included
Day 6: For your final morning, you'll enjoy an early breakfast and coffee at your luxurious hotel before departing back to Cortina in the morning. You'll say goodbyes to new running friends and the Dolomites and depart with tons of memories.
