My Top 5 destinations for runners

Haute-Savoie, France

Home sweet Home! Not very objective to talk about the house, but that's partly why I moved there. Without any chauvinism, the options are countless with magnificent mountain ranges from the banks of Lake Annecy to the Chamonix valley at the foot of Mont Blanc.

Some will prefer to run in the forest down in the valleys, others will explore the technical terrain of the limestone summits of Aravis, Chablais, Fiz, etc... In any case, everyone can find happiness there, for a few hours or for several days.

There are many races in the region and whether with a bib or off with a group of friends, each valley is worth visiting. Besides, I’m far from having explored everything!

Peneda-Gerês, Portugal

I discovered northern Portugal 3 years ago during a road trip in the Porto region, and I fell under the spell of the Peneda-Gerês national park. It is the only national park in the country and it feels like time has stood still there. With its small traditional villages, lakes, waterfalls and peaks lined with canyons, it is a true paradise for hikers and trail runners looking for a wild playground.

I had the chance to stay there in the spring and I really fell in love with the village of Campo Do Gerês. Over there, the trails were deserted with small peaks on all sides. Imagine walking miles of trails without ever meeting anyone for hours. It was the perfect vacation!
From this small village, I strongly recommend going around the Vilarinho das Furnas dam, passing peaks like Louriça (1359m) and Pé de Cabril (1236m). Small mountains certainly, but it’s so exotic.

And now, 3 places I would love to run…

Dolomites, Italy

It’s a real postcard setting. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Dolomites mountains have a unique geology where you can find technical summits, lakes and grandiose landscapes. So yes, it is already a spot very popular with tourists from all over the world in the summer. But, in the fall, far from the frenzy of the holidays, some trails are deserted.

Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Lakes of Braies, Landro, Croda da Lago, or even Cinque Torri: these names will make connoisseurs dream. The crossing from refuge to refuge with its 120 kilometers for a little more than 8000 meters of elevation can be done without too much difficulty in 4 or 5 days.

And obviously for fans of bibs and great challenges, there is the legendary Lavaredo Ultra-trail every year in June. It's one of Europe's most iconic races, taking places in breathtaking scenery from Cortina d'Ampezzo, and it's obviously on my list.

Image by Eric Kilby

Mesa Trail, USA

What ? You’ve never heard of Boulder, Colorado? Northeast of Denver, it is one of the US's top trail towns, with more than 300 kilometers of routes in close proximity to the city. Among the many routes in this trail runner’s paradise, there is one in particular that I would love to run: the Mesa Trail.

This 21-kilometer round trip that connects Eldorado Spring and Boulder has rolling hills, and goes along the Flatirons mountains. Sinuous, hilly and varied, it’s a must run in the region and, icing on the cake, it allows you to reach iconic peaks like Green Mountain (2483m) or Bear Peak (2579m).