Run The Alps

“Running towards Saint Michel’s church in the center of Chamonix with Rachel Entrekin on a sunny Tuesday before UTMB® Mont-Blanc, I can’t help but wonder if she’ll be doing this triumphantly a month from now.”

After making history as the first woman to win the Cocodona 250-miler outright, Rachel Entrekin has been preparing for HOKA UTMB® Mont-Blanc in Chamonix, France. Ultra runner and author Matt Hart joined her on one of those runs in the Alps this summer. They chatted on the trails about her road to get to this big event, her preparation, and goals.

That "month from now" is only a few days away...read “From Desert to Alps: Rachel Entrekin’s Road to UTMB” written by Matt Hart now on our blog. https://www.runthealps.com/blog/rachel-entrekin-road-to-utmb/

Thanks Matt and Rachel for sharing your run convo.

From Desert to Alps: Rachel Entrekin's Road to UTMB - Run the Alps After making history as the first woman to win the Cocodona 250-miler outright, Rachel Entrekin prepares for the UTMB in Chamonix, France.

At Run the Alps, we live and breathe Alps trail running. It’s why we’re more than a tour company – we produce guidebooks, an annual film festival, and we have two chalets for visiting trail runners in the Chamonix valley.

Now in its sixth year, The Hub Chamonix continues to be a home-away-from-home for trail runners. With room for ten guests, and an on-site Community Manager, you can come run and be around like-minded guests. The Hub also hosts our Summer Series of events in partnership with Precision Fuel & Hydration. Reserve a room for a night, a week, or more, and stop in for one of our remaining events if you’re in the area. The Hub is open for guests through mid-September.
https://www.runthealps.com/the-hub/about/

This summer we added Le Petit Refuge, a cozy, renovated cabin in the forest of Vallorcine, near the Swiss border. Breakfast and dinner are provided, along with our favorite routes to run, right from the door. The cabin is filled with trail running reading and some special treats for our guests.
https://www.runthealps.com/blog/le-petite-refuge/

There’s still a few weeks left this trail season, or put a stay with us on your wish list for next summer.

📷 Toni Spasenoski Sam Hill

Ever wonder what it’s like to run at the biggest week of trail running in Chamonix?

The countdown is on for this year’s event, and so this seems the perfect opportunity to share a story from our Writers Residency Contest that answers what it’s like to run UTMB® OCC:

“It’s like being cheered on by a hundred Swiss schoolchildren who were pulled out of class for the occasion.”

“It’s like feeling your body start to break apart at the seams, which for some reason prompts your mind to produce the line from Virgil’s Aeneid, “A joy it will be one day, perhaps, to remember even this,” and how although to some extent this feels true and slightly helps in the moment, there is a subtle impression of embarrassment upon realizing for the second time today your mind has generated an inspirational quote; embarrassing both in the sense that this strikes you a bit trite, and a touch hollow given you’ve never actually read the Aeneid but apparently are the type of person that nonetheless cherry-picks lines that you fancy from Latin epic poems written 2,000 years ago.”

“It’s like ...”

Read more from Max Wilson’s story, “Allez, Allez,” one of this year’s runners-up, on our blog: https://www.runthealps.com/blog/allez-allez/

Max Wilson is a flatlander with a passion for mountain running and climbing, a genetic counselor, and lover of soul and blues music. We hope you enjoy his story.

Allez, Allez - Run the Alps What's it like to run the UTMB® OCC? Read Max Wilson‘s story from our first Writers Residency Contest with Like the Wind magazine.

Before you comment on these photos, we know what you’re thinking. “Those photos suck.”

Well, yes, they do… If you’re a photographer.

But if you’re a guidebook writer, they’re gold.

As one of the writers for Run the Alps’ new Switzerland guidebook, Doug Mayer looks at these trail runs with a different set of eyes:

“I imagine myself back at my desk, trying to write an accurate run description. I think about the questions you’ll have when you head out for the run. And I want you to feel like you have a smart, knowledgeable friend along for the run, guiding you thoughtfully every step of the way.”

So, as a guidebook writer, what do you think about on the trail?

Find out in our latest entry on the blog: Along the Way: Swiss Trail Running Guidebook Updates.

📷: Doug Mayer

Becoming Unstoppable: How to Trust Yourself When the Race Isn’t Going to Plan

Every runner faces moments of doubt, discomfort, and uncertainty. Join performance psychologist and ultra runner Dr Kaz Williams as she explores the mental skills that help athletes stay resilient, trust themselves, and keep moving forward when quitting feels like the easiest option. Drawing on evidence-based psychology and her own racing experience, Kaz will share practical tools to help you stay in the race—physically and mentally.

🗓️ Thursday 13th August, 18:30
📍 The Hub, Chamonix, 232 Chemin de l’Ordon

Trail Running, Community & Culture in Chamonix: The Hub Chamonix Summer Series! Join us for social runs, speakers, workshops, movie nights, and fun all summer long!

Brought to you by Run the Alps Sponsored by Precision Fuel & Hydration

📷: courtesy Dr Kaz Williams

Navigate with Confidence: GPS, Maps & Modern Trail Technology with Ture Dahl Børglum

Join us for an evening with Ture Dahl, an experienced product leader who has helped shape some of the world’s leading GPS tracking apps and mapping platforms, including Endomondo, MapMyRun, FATMAP and Strava. Discover how digital maps and GPS technology work, learn practical navigation tips, and hear insights from someone who has also completed some of the world’s biggest mountain races, including UTMB.

🗓️ Sunday 9th August, 18:30
📍 The Hub, Chamonix, 232 Chemin de l’Ordon

Trail Running, Community & Culture in Chamonix: The Hub Chamonix Summer Series! Join us for social runs, speakers, workshops, movie nights, and fun all summer long!

Brought to you by Run the Alps Sponsored by Precision Fuel & Hydration



📷: courtesy Ture Dahl

“I am hunched over my bright pink carbon poles searching for a breath as I watch the sweat from my bangs drip in a steady stream onto the gneiss rock just below my chin.

It is August on the Refuge Albert Premier trail, and I have never been this soaked with sweat in my life – which is saying something considering my childhood summers spent in the sticky South Carolinian swamp.

The nice Norwegian dad, with what I’m sure is a god-like VO2 max, that traipsed through the cow field with me to find the start of the VK has long since ditched me.” …

Keep reading Haley Littleton‘s “Je Est un Autre: Reflections on Running in Le Tour” on our blog. Her’s is the winning story from the first Run the Alps Writers Residency Contest in partnership with Like the Wind Magazine.

We are pleased to publish Haley’s story -now live!- and had the pleasure of welcoming her to Chamonix to work on her next story. Haley Kit Littleton is a writer, trail runner, and environmental advocate based in Denver, Colorado. She has a masters in literature and creative writing from the University of Denver and has been featured in publications like TEDx, REI’s Uncommon Path, Outside Online, Dwell Magazine Online, and Elevation Outdoors. Haley works for a conservation organization advocating for policies that protect land, air, and water across the Western United States.

https://www.runthealps.com/blog/je-est-un-autre-reflections-on-running-in-le-tour/

We hope you enjoy reading her story as much as we did. Stories from the runners-up will follow shortly — so stay tuned for more good reading.

Je Est un Autre: Reflections on Running in Le Tour - Run the Alps Haley Littleton's "Je Est un Autre" is the winning story from our first Writers Residency Contest in partnership with Like the Wind magazine.

Last night was a special one at The Hub, Chamonix. We just wanted to take a minute to thank Gregory Gourdet (Gregory Gourdet) for creating such an incredible meal in our kitchen to share with friends old and new. It’s something special to share the trails and then dinner in such good company.

After such an amuse-bouche, we’re already looking forward to next July, and you’re invited — join us for our Chamonix Culinary and Trail Running Vacation with Gregory Gourdet in 2027.
https://www.runthealps.com/tour/chamonix-culinary-and-trail-running-vacation-with-gregory-gourdet/

And thank you to Willie McBride Big Mountain Brewing Co. and our staff and friends for pulling this one together so spectacularly.

📷: Toni Spasenoski

Our Summer Series at The Hub continues – Trail Running Meets Mountaineering with Meg MacKenzie & Cody Lind.

If you’ve ever wondered how to bridge the gap between trail running and mountaineering, this session is for you. Join Meg Mackenzie and Cody Lind as they share their experiences, practical tips, and the knowledge you need to explore the mountains with confidence. Whether you’re aiming for alpine adventures or simply looking to expand your skills, we hope to see you Thursday at The Hub.

🗓️ Thursday 30th July, 18:30
📍 The Hub, Chamonix, 232 Chemin de l’Ordon

Trail Running, Community
& Culture in Chamonix: The Hub Chamonix Summer Series! Join us for social runs, speakers,
workshops, movie nights, and fun all summer long!

Brought to you by Run the Alps Sponsored by Precision Fuel & Hydration

📷: Meg Mackenzie Cody Lind