RUNNERS' HOLIDAYS 2025

Our carefully curated selection of the best trips to refresh mind, body and soul

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If epic UTMB tales leave you feeling Chamonix's trails are too extreme for you, rest assured I felt the same until my trip with Run the Wild (RTW) showed me you don't need to be Courtney Dauwalter to run in Europe's mountain-sport capital.

Joining the trail-running holiday specialists' two-day Running and Yoga weekend, I'd expected most people to have come with friends or partners, but found many alone. The opportunity to meet new people is a core part of the experience, says Simon James, who co-founded RTW with his wife and fellow experienced international mountain guide and running coach Karin Voller. To ensure no one's left behind and everyone gets the most from the experience, runners are split into groups of roughly 10 based on experience and pace, with each allocated a guide. I joined the intermediate group; and heading out of Chamonix on the first morning beneath grey, misty skies, we trotted along scenic valley-floor trails at conversational pace with regular stops for our guide to chat about the flora, fauna, history and geography of the valley.

From the hamlet of Les Bois, forest paths gradually ascended to a vantage point and a view of the formidable Mer de Glace glacier, glassy peak veiled by white clouds that were finally beginning to part.

Our guide shared tips on descending steep terrain and we were soon back in Les Bois at a cheese-and-beer-tasting checkpoint, to refuel before a final flat 5km back to our hotel in time for our yoga session. We'd covered 14km with 500m of ascent, so stretching and releasing tight muscles felt particularly restorative.