Trail Running in Italy: Run the Dolomites!

The adventure begins with an early afternoon group pickup in Venice, and an immediate transfer to Cortina d’Ampezzo, the most famous resort town of the Italian Alps and our base for the next few days. We’ll get settled into our boutique hotel right in the center of town, and then stretch our legs with a stroll over to a local winery for aperitivo and a chance to get to know each other.

That evening we’ll tuck into the first of many spectacular dinners to come, and get all of the details for our first run, which will happen tomorrow in the morning.

Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Boutique hotel

The first run of the trip will cover one of the most iconic hiking routes in the Dolomites. We’ll be treated to some rolling hills, but overall it’s a runnable route and a great way to ease into a big week ahead. The run finishes at a small alpine hut serving some amazing goulash (meat stew).

Later on, we’ll hike the final couple of kilometers back to our vehicles, and head back to our base in Cortina to clean up and enjoy some downtime before a feast at a local farm on the outskirts of town.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Running: 7-10 mi / 12-16 km, 1,600-3,000 ft / 720-1,000 m gain; dirt road and single track trail
Walking: 1.5 mi / 2.5 km walk to vans after lunch
Accommodation: Boutique hotel

On Day 3, expect an initial climb, a grin-inducing single-track flow with towering views of the Marmolada glacier, a steep, loose descent, pleasant forested river trails, and a final stretch of forest road that will lead us through an idyllic valley and up a surprising grind of a final climb.

The destination is another hut lunch, this one known for artisan dairy products. We’ll have a nice long walk after the meal to stretch our legs. Upon reaching the vans, we’ll head back to Cortina for a free evening, where you’ll be free to explore and choose your own dinner spot.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Running: 12 mi / 20 km, 2,600 ft / 800 m gain, 3,300 ft / 1,000 m descent; flowy & technical single track trail, gravel roads, and a touch of pavement
Walking: 3 miles / 5 km walk to the vans after lunch
Accommodation: Boutique hotel

After breakfast, we will pack up and take a short drive to the start of our next run. This one begins with a climb through the forest before embarking upon a technical loop that takes in the iconic Cinque Torri formations and offers some of the most spectacular scenery of the week.

We’ll finish with a hearty lunch at a mountaintop rifugio with panoramic views, which also happens to be our home for the night. The crew will transport small overnight bags for everyone, and we’ll have the afternoon and evening to soak in the scenery and hang out with fellow rifugio guests over drinks and dinner before an early bedtime.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Running: 8 mi / 13 km, 3,300 ft / 1,000 m gain; single track trail
Accommodation: Mountain refuge

On Day 5, we’ll head down from the rifugio after breakfast and take a drive to Passo Rolle, the starting line of a pleasantly runnable loop through a bucolic valley. The run finishes at an alpine hut atop a lush plateau where we’ll be treated to a lunch featuring local cheeses.

We’ll take a relaxed walk back to the vans, and head to San Martino di Castrozza, a small village on the southern edge of the Dolomites. We’ll get checked into our cozy lodge and have some time to relax before our dinner in town.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Running: 9 mi / 15 km, 1,600 ft / 500 m gain; dirt road & single track trail
Walking: 1.5 mi / 2.5 km walk to vans after lunch
Accommodation: Mountain lodge

Our mission today is Cima Rosetta, the local classic that is reached directly from the town. The distance might not look like much, but this is a steep and occasionally exposed hiking route.

Once we’ve reached the moonscape of a summit, we’ll descend to the mountain hut where we’ll enjoy lunch before eventually heading back to town with a gondola. In the afternoon, we’ll have some free time to rest before sharing one last meal together.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Running/Hiking: 5 mi / 8 km, 4,000 ft / 1,200 m gain; single track mountain trail with exposure towards the top
Accommodation: Mountain lodge

We’ll wake up for one last breakfast together before packing up and transferring back to Venice to catch the flights back home.

Meals: Breakfast