If I can go up and down mountains, travel every year, and be the person I am, it is because of my parents’ company, NomaTrails, formerly Run The World Adventures. It started with their vision, with Cristina and me, and all our friends, our guides, creating these experiences in Costa Brava, Costa Rica, Morocco, Sicily, and the south of France. These truly are unforgettable Trail Running Vacations.
That’s why I owe so much to this business. I always try to join the tours with my father, Pablo, to share some laughs and make sure everyone enjoys themselves even more. We want you to trust us, to just go for it. We don’t give you every single detail because the real magic, the true heart of NomaTrails, is found in the unexpected moments, in the raw, authentic experience you live.
See, for us, running isn’t just about fitness. It’s not about getting slim or hitting new personal bests. It’s our way of moving, our way of exploring, just like our ancestors did. We use our legs, our lungs, our heart as pure transportation, traversing a place in a way only runners can. That’s the soul of NomaTrails. We only go to places where we have a deep, personal connection. I’m talking about places where I can point and say, “That’s where my grandma lives,” or “That’s the school my kids went to.” If we don’t have that kind of connection, it feels fake, you know? It’s about genuine human connection, not just a postcard view.
Pablo always says these aren’t just trips; they are memories and stories you can tell your grandkids. These adventures will change you. They will shift something inside you. Be careful, he warns, because you will go back home changed. We’ve even had couples whose marriages were saved, and some who met on our trips and later married. Some even tell us, “This baby wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for you!” That kind of impact, that’s what we aim for with every one of our Trail Running Vacations.
Our trips, especially those Trail Running Vacations in Morocco, they’re not just runs; they’re life experiences. Abdu, our incredible guide there, he always talks about it. We run 15, maybe 16 miles a day through the Atlas Mountains, but the mileage isn’t the point. It’s the people. It’s the shared moments. I’ve had friends, American and Spanish, come back from those tours, and when we talk about it, tears well up in their eyes. They tell us, “We want to be your friends. We want to keep in touch.” That’s what it’s all about for us.
I remember one morning in the desert, waking up at 3 AM. We ran behind Abdu for two hours in the deep sand, the air still cool and crisp. Then we stopped. Abdu, the expert, he showed us the stars, and man, you felt like you could reach out and touch every single one. After those two hours of running and walking, we were ready. Ready for the most beautiful sunrise you’ve ever seen, painting the sky with colors you only dream of. That’s the kind of moment we want to create for our small groups.
One of the most extraordinary days of my life happened in Morocco. It was so unexpected. We were running in the middle of nowhere, towards a place I didn’t even know existed. We’d been going for several days, backpacks on, no idea what lay ahead. This wasn’t some tourist route; we went five and a half hours in the opposite direction of where the big buses go from Marrakech. And then, we found it: this incredible valley, a beautiful Fard, so far away from everything. It felt like time travel. People there live the way people did 500 years ago. We met the most beautiful human beings. I’ve been trying to learn Berber for nine years, and I still struggle, but their spirit, their kindness, it’s universal.
I remember seeing this girl, maybe 12 years old, working by an irrigation channel in a deep canyon. Her face, it was just… pure, like fresh corn flakes, you know? Our kids, they can be a bit like little monsters sometimes, but this girl? She immediately ran off, gathered wood, and made a fire for us right there. Then her family invited us for tea. We went into their simple home, shared stories. That’s why we’re here. That’s the connection we chase on these Morocco Trail Running Vacations. You can read more about the geography of the Atlas Mountains on Wikipedia.
Or take Sicily. Pasquale, our guide there, he knows that island like the back of his hand. He’ll take you from the sea, running through these incredible rural areas, past ancient olive groves, into the heart of the island where the mountain villages cling to the slopes. We don’t just climb the big peaks; we weave through the valleys, finding the natural paths, the weak points of the mountains. We might sleep in a beautiful borgo like Isnello, high up, where you can see the whole sea stretched out below you. Then we run above Cefalù.
Sometimes, the coast just drops straight into the sea, becoming a sheer mountain face, so we might need a quick shuttle to get us to the next perfect spot for a run. But always, after all that, a well-deserved swim in the Mediterranean Sea? Absolutely. It’s this blend of raw nature and genuine local life that makes our Sicily Trail Running Vacations so special. Learn more about the joy of trail running from the International Trail Running Association.
“Can I go running?.” Oriol Rodriguez Moret, 13 years old.
This is what Oriol asks me constantly. He really embodies the spirit of NomaTrails. He doesn’t just come along to help Cristina and me; he comes because he truly loves it. It can be a bit challenging for him to connect with guests on the first day, especially since his English isn’t fluent yet. But once he gets to know them, once he makes friends, he gets so attached. When a tour ends, he’s heartbroken, but the thought of seeing them again on another adventure always cheers him up. It’s a beautiful thing to see him experience the joy of these Trail Running Vacations.
If you ask him why he likes running, he’ll tell you it’s to find new places. But it’s more than that for him, too. When he runs and pushes through fatigue, he feels this incredible euphoria. It’s like an overflow of positive energy that gives him the strength to keep going, to take on any challenge. That feeling, that raw, human energy, that’s what we aim to share with everyone who joins us on our Trail Running Vacations. We want you to feel that profound change, that deep connection, that sense of being truly alive.