Author Archives: Doug Mayer

To everything thing– turn, turn, turn, there is a season—turn, turn, turn. I am a sucker for some pretty clichéd folk songs, including that one from Pete Seeger. (Probably in large part due to having gone to a summer camp run by Pete’s brother, John.) Pete had weightier things on his mind when he wrote

Or, How to Trail Run Through the Alps in 12 Days I have a bit of a problem with Switzerland, when it comes to trail running. When friends ask, “So, what’s the trail running like over there?” I start with the usual suspects: classic mountain huts, vistas that do literally get you to stop in

Here in the White Mountains of New Hampshire this morning, I can look over the edge of my laptop’s screen, and there’s snow on the peaks of Mount Adams and Mount Madison. Today, though, I’m occupied planning a summer of trail running around the Swiss Alps, including a number of trail races and, with my friends, co-leading two great tours.

Run the Alps is getting ready for its inaugural season! I’m really excited to announce that Run the Alps will be partnering with Alpinehikers, to create a series of trail running offerings in the Swiss Alps, beginning this summer.  Run the Alps will provide the trail running expertise, including our detailed knowledge of Swiss Alp

In the course of exploring the many topopgraphic nooks and crannies of Switzerland in search of great trail running, there are some really happy surprises to be found. At the end of the deep Lauterbrunnen valley, tucked under the cliff walls that form the base of the Jungfrau and Breithorn, is one of those places:

Why pick a favorite village in Switzerland? It’s a bit of an exercise in futility. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all. And as soon as you justify your choice, it’s hard not to second guess yourself when faced with the myriad attributes of places like Stechelberg, St. Luc, Bettmeralp and, well,

This last week, preregistration opened for the Ultra Mont Blanc (the UTMB), arguably the most famous trail race in the world.  The 168-km long course starts and finishes in Chamonix, France, and runs around Mont Blanc, through the mountain towns that surround the massif. Increasingly popular, there are now a series of four other races, held the

The Vertical KM race in Fully, Switzerland is considered to be the fastest vertical kilometer course in the world. The race, held on a former funicular route, is home to both the men’s and women’s world records. This past weekend, temperatures were too warm for a new world record. But, nonetheless, a great race was

Trail running here in the Alps is unlike anywhere else I’ve ever laced up my Salomons and headed out the door. One’s body simply needs time to adjust to the sheer verticality of it all— no matter what your pre-trip training back home. For me, a purely recreational runner, I notice a change at about three to four weeks. Like all

As trail running grows–some would say explodes in popularity–all manner of new ventures are taking shape. The ultra-famous, ultra-hard 166 km UTMB just announced yet one more event to its series—the OCC, Orsières-Champex-Chamonix. Running camps and personal trainers are showing up on the scene. In the states and throughout Europe, trail races are filling up in hours, sometimes minutes. Those of us