A REAL trail mix
IF YOU like the idea of running off-road and love the freedom of the mountains, trail running should be on your must-do list for holidays at home and abroad.
September and October are a great time to get out and enjoy those trails as temperatures drop and autumn’s colours explode.
Trails are for all levels — whether you’re jogging through shaded forests, running the Spinc boardwalk in Glendalough or winning international ultra races like Eoin Keith, one of Ireland’s most successful trail and mountain runners (trail runningireland.com).
Wicklow Tourism’s Fred Verdier recognised the growing popularity of trail running — or ‘sky running’ as it’s called at higher, competitive levels — and set up the Wicklow Eco Trail International Trail Running Festival in 2019.
This year’s three-day festival will take place next weekend — September 23-25 — with a series of four trail running races between Bray and the Wicklow mountains. Distances are 18km, 30km, 45km and 80km, and will take participants through some of the county’s most spectacular scenery, including Bray Head, Powerscourt Waterfall and Lough Tay.
There’ll be a festival atmosphere around Bray and Wicklow for the event and a spectator bus bringing people from Bray Dart station to Kilmacanogue, the Sugarloaf and Roundwood for some of the best viewing points along the race routes. See wicklow. ecotrail.com.
ABROAD, there are endless trail running options to explore, not only in the Alps but closer to home — for example, the south-west coast path in Cornwall and the Lake District.
But if you like to be bathed in autumnal sunshine on your trail runs, the Alps are a great bet for this time of year. Selva Val Gardena in the Italian Dolomites (valgardena.it) is situated right next to the Puez-Odle natural park with easy access to alpine trail runs including the Puez trail, a 15km route suitable for experienced runners with rocky terrain and immense views.
In Switzerland, a 22km loop at Bettmeralp takes runners alongside the Unesco World
Heritage Aletsch glacier, the biggest glacier in the world — what a gift to be able to run on trails alongside this mesmerising natural wonder (myswitzerland.com).
It would be impossible to talk about trail running without mentioning the UTMB,
the Ultra Trail de Mont Blanc in Chamonix (utmbmontblanc.com). This year’s race was won by legendary Catalan ultra-runner Kilian Jornet. He hails from Cerdanya in the Catalan Pyrenees, another fantastic destination for trail running.
In the Lleida region of Catalunya, Aiguestortes I Estany de Sant Maurici national park provides a glorious backdrop for trail runs with over 200 lakes, streams and rivers dotted through the landscape and the imposing peak of Los
Encantados dominating views as you run. Fly to Barcelona and stay in the Pyrenean town of Espot for access to the park’s routes (catalunya.com).
As autumn gives way to winter, it’s time to look slightly further afield for rugged running options. The Portugese island of Madeira offers great terrain as do the Canary Islands (hellocanaryislands.com), especially Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera and La Palma.
Just a few months before the 2021 volcanic eruption on La Palma, I jogged through the black sand of the island’s lava fields, ending up with completely black feet and legs.
The photos still make me smile today and remind me that running trails in remarkable places can leave a lasting impression.
Mount Teide National Park in Tenerife is an incredible place to run trails with a surreal volcanic landscape as backdrop.
The beauty of this destination is that you can stay at Las Canadas del Teide Parador inside the national park, step outside the hotel door and run signposted trails through other-worldly scenery.
As for La Gomera, it’s no coincidence that Cristofer Clemente, one of the top trail runners in the world, hails from the capital San Sebastian de la Gomera and trains in the impressively steep barrancos of this gorgeous island.