Description:

This introduction to trail running course begins in a valley that’s one of the great trail running secrets of the Alps, the wild and beautiful Engadine. Here, in one of our favorite hidden corners of Switzerland, the trails are little-traveled, smooth and flowy. It’s authentic Switzerland, where life goes on in small villages much as it has for centuries. We’ll stay in sporty Pontresina, where the mountains are also home to one of the largest ibex reserves in the Alps. An outdoors-oriented village, Pontresina is where climbers, skiers and trail runners stay when they visit the Engadine. Endurance athletes come to train here, thanks to the valley’s altitude of 1800m – the optimal elevation for effective altitude training. A few kilometers away sits the famous town of St Moritz, a luxury Alpine resort that has hosted the winter Olympics twice. We’ll ride one of the world’s most famous trains, the Glacier Express. We’ll travel through the heart of the Alps, from St. Moritz to the car-free alpine village of Zermatt, literally at the foot of the Matterhorn. In this world-famous mountain village, we’ll use the terrain to our advantage as we learn the basics of pacing on uphills, using trail running poles efficiently and effectively, and running safely and efficiently downhill.