September 6-12, 2026
July 14-20, 2027
September 5-11, 2027
Through the limestone spires of the Italian Dolomites, technical mountain trails lead to rifugios perched impossibly high, where steaming plates of polenta and local cheese await weary runners. Each day brings a new challenge – from exposed ridgelines to flowing singletrack beneath glaciers – but also new rewards: aperitivo in medieval villages, family farmhouse feasts, and nights spent in mountain huts where alpenglow paints the peaks pink.
The adventure begins with an early afternoon group pickup in Venice and immediate transfer to San Martino di Castrozza – our base for the next couple of 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 vinoteca 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 – happening tomorrow morning!
Our mission today (after indulging in one of the greatest breakfast spreads in all of Italy) is Cima Rosetta, the local classic that is reached directly from town. The distance might not look like much, but this is a steep and occasionally exposed route that will light your lungs, your calves and your sense of wonder on fire – expect to be hiking most, if not all, of it! Once we’ve reached the moonscape of a summit we’ll descend a short way to the mountain hut where we’ll enjoy lunch before eventually heading back to town by way of the gondola (oops, did we not mention that option on the way up?). That afternoon you’ll have some free time to rest before sharing a feast together.
After breakfast, we’ll take a drive to Passo Rolle, the start line of a pleasantly runnable loop through a bucolic valley surrounded by the imposing walls of the lesser-visited Pale di San Martino range. The run finishes at an alpine hut atop a lush plateau where we’ll be treated to a lunch featuring the very best local cheeses that this particular family- and their happy cos grazing nearby – is known for. Once seated, we’ll take a relaxed walk back to the vans and from there head to a mountaintop rifugio in between San Martino di Castrozza and Cortina d’Ampezzo- the quintessential Dolomiti experience!
Our crew will transport small overnight bags for everyone, and you’ll have the afternoon and evening to soak in the scenery, explore surrounding WW1 relics and commune with fellow rifugio guests over drinks and dinner before an early bedtime.
After breakfast we will start out on our run – a technical loop that takes in the iconic Cinque Torri formations and offers some of the most spectacular scenery of the week! Finish with a hearty lunch at a mountaintop rifugio with panoramic views before we head down the mountain to transfer to Cortina d’Ampezzo – the best-known (and arguably most beautiful) resort town of the Italian Alps.
We will check in to our hotel and have some free time to explore this quaint mountain town before enjoying another spectacular Italian feast.
If your legs are starting to feel the cumulative effort of the week, today delivers a rewarding balance of challenge and charm. After breakfast, we’ll set out for a stunning point-to-point run from Passo Giau toward the dramatic base of Monte Pelmo. The route winds through rolling alpine terrain with ever-present views of one of the Dolomites’ most iconic peaks, offering a mix of runnable sections and steady climbs.
We’ll finish at the welcoming Rifugio Venezia, where a well-earned lunch awaits with – more delicious, hearty mountain meals enjoyed beneath towering rock walls. Since no vehicles are allowed in this valley, we’ll have a nice long walk after our meal to stretch the 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.
We hope you’ve saved something for the grand finale!
Our final run of the trip will cover one of the most iconic hiking routes in the Dolomites and while it may not exactly be off the beaten track, it cannot be missed. You’ll be treated to some rolling hills – we are in the mountains after all! – but overall it’s a runnable route and a great way to end a BIG week. The run finishes at a small alpine hut serving some of the best goulash we’ve ever had, which we’ll sample plenty of. Once everyone is finished, fed and ready to go 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 one last feast together at a local farm on the outskirts of town.
Participants should be comfortable with at least an 8-10 mile (13-16 km) trail run and prepared for significant elevation gain and loss. Expect to climb (and descend) 12-14,000 ft / 3600-4300m over 5 days, covering about 40 mi / 65km total.
This Dolomites running tour is not beginner-friendly and requires mountain experience.
Accommodations include:
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