August 27 – September 1, 2026
August 22-27, 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 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 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.
Chances are that yesterday’s mountain climb will have caught up to you, in which case, you’ll love what we’ve got for you today! 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. We’ll get into this mountaintop chalet and have dinner before tomorrow’s run of Cinque Torri.
After breakfast, today’s run is 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 of the surrounding meadows. After lunch, you’ll be able to soak in the scenery, and explore the surrounding WW1 relics before our crew transports you to the town of Cortina d’ Ampezza, the best-known resort town of the Italian Alps. Tonight’s dinner is on-your-own with restaurant recommendations from our team of locals.
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.
The run tour price includes pre-trip communication & guidance, airport transfers, all accommodation, all meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 6 (one dinner excluded), transportation, drivers, experienced running guides, organized runs, gondola tickets, sightseeing entry fees, and Rogue Expeditions swag. Almost everything is covered for your Dolomites running adventure!
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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