Okay, let’s just get this out of the way right now: running vacations are a truly terrible idea. I mean, who wants to spend their precious time off pushing their limits, getting a little dirty, and seeing places most people only dream of? If you’re looking for a relaxing, predictable break, you should probably just stop reading now. Seriously, these trips will mess you up in the best possible way, and your old life might just feel a bit… tame afterwards. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Why Running Vacations Will Ruin Your Life (In The Best Way)
My wife, Christina, and I, Pablo, started NomaTrails because we believe running isn’t just about fitness. It’s about exploration, about moving through a place like our ancestors did. For us, it’s a way to truly connect. We don’t just pick a spot; we pick places where we have a deep, personal relationship. Maybe it’s where my grandma lives, or the school my kids went to. It’s gotta be real, you know? Otherwise, it’s just… fake.
We use our legs, our lungs, our heart as pure transportation. Our goal is to traverse a territory, to see it the way only runners can. This isn’t about getting slim or setting a new personal best. It’s about discovering a new place every single day, point to point, and letting the journey change you. And trust me, it will change you.
You’ll Never Take a “Normal” Vacation Again
Think about it. Once you’ve seen a place on foot, truly immersed yourself in its rhythms, how can you go back to just lounging on a beach? It’s impossible. Take Sicily, for example. Our guide, Pasquale, he knows that island like the back of his hand. We start by the sea, running through these old, quiet rural areas, past fields and villages that feel like they’re from another century. Then, we climb into the mountains.
We don’t just go straight up. Pasquale takes us through the valleys, finding the “weak points” in the terrain, making the journey feel natural, ancient. We sleep in a place like Isnello, a village so high up you can almost see the entire sea spread out below you. It’s breathtaking. From there, we might run above Cefalù, and then, because the coast there just drops straight into the sea, we make a quick, small transfer by vehicle. But then, you’re right there, ready for a swim in that incredible Mediterranean. You can’t get that from a tour bus, can you? It’s an experience that sticks with you.
You’ll Question Everything, Maybe Even Your Job
Some of our trips, they really make you rethink things. We’ve had couples come on our Costa Rica adventures who were married, but not to each other. They left married to each other! Or couples whose marriages were saved, and they tell us, “This baby wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for you guys!” It’s powerful stuff.
Our trips to Morocco, they’re something else. We go so far off the beaten path, places five and a half hours in the opposite direction from where the tourist buses go from Marrakech. You run in the middle of nowhere, then suddenly, you discover these incredible valleys, these tiny villages where people live like they did 500 years ago. You meet the most beautiful human beings. I’ve been trying to learn Berber for nine years, and I still struggle, but the connection you make, it transcends language.
I remember one day, after several days of running with our backpacks, we came across this deep canyon. And there, by an irrigation channel, was a girl with her donkey, working. We saw her, and she just disappeared for a moment. Then, she ran back, gathered some wood, and made a fire for us. She immediately asked, “Do you want to have tea with us?” Of course, we said yes! We went to their house, shared tea. It’s like time travel. These are the moments that truly change you.
Pork, one of our runners, he came to Costa Rica after losing his stepfather and then his mother to cancer within a short time. He was a firefighter, used to dealing with trauma, but he found himself in a dark place. He told us how running, especially running in the jungle, became his survival technique. He needed to do something extreme, something different.
Running 160 kilometers in six days through that Costa Rican jungle, it was his way to focus his grief, to find peace. He told us about waking up at 5 AM, running for hours, crossing rivers at specific times, dealing with the heat – 27, 28 degrees, even at high altitudes. He hit the wall on day two. He talked about snakes hanging from trees, not just on the ground. The diet was mostly rice and beans, which he joked he’d always wanted, but not for every meal!
But the real story? It wasn’t about the physical challenge. It was about finding himself again, raising awareness for Crumlin Children’s Hospital, and learning that “it’s okay to talk.” He didn’t stay in hotels; he stayed in local family houses. One night, on a farm, they moved the cattle out, brought in planks of wood, and made beds for them. Day one, he thought, “What have I done?” But he finished it, and it brought him out of that dark place. That’s the power of these running vacations.
Running Vacations: Pushing Limits You Didn’t Know You Had
Kat Townsend, an Aussie living in London, she came on one of our Costa Rica trips. She told me she was scared out of her mind. She saw everyone else—Iron Man athletes, ultra-runners, people from the Defense Forces—and thought, “Little old me, how did I get here?” But I had sent her a brochure with sloths and snakes and beaches, with a note saying, “Kat, this is going to be tough, but I think you can do it.” That little push gave her the confidence to even consider it.
She said the biggest challenge wasn’t the heat, even though she’d never sweated so much in her life, and she’s from northern Queensland! It was mental. That fear of slowing the group down, of not being able to do it. But once she let herself just run, just be in the moment, it was amazing. When you’re out there, running those trails, with no energy left, there’s no time for worry or fear. You just slog up that hill, or through that river, or climb through a jungle. You just keep going.
Kat finished that six-day journey through the Costa Rican heat, even with one day hitting 3,000 meters of ascent. She learned she could achieve amazing things, physically and mentally. “I’m okay,” she said. She went away different, a “strong runner.” And that’s what we want for everyone. You don’t need to be an elite athlete. You just need to be willing to try.
You’ll Get Obsessed with Places and People
These trips, they aren’t just about the running. They are about the people you meet, the connections you make. We sit down, we share a meal, a cup of tea. We’re not just taking your money; we want to be your friends. We want to keep in touch. I remember Abdu, my friend and guide in Morocco, talking about waking up at 3 AM in the desert, running for two hours in the sand, then stopping to watch the sunrise. You feel like you’re seeing every single star. Those small groups, those moments, that’s what we create.
You’ll fall in love with the landscape, the culture, the way people live. You might find yourself trying to learn Berber, or dreaming of the smells of the Costa Brava pine forests, or the taste of fresh Sicilian oranges. These aren’t just trips; they are invitations to become part of our nomadic family. We’ve been doing this for 12 years here in the Costa Brava, in Sicily, in Morocco, in Costa Rica. We get to know the people who live there, and we share that with you.
Your Friends Won’t Understand You Anymore
When you come back home, you’ll be changed. Your friends, your family, they might look at you a little funny. You’ll have stories they can’t quite grasp, memories that are etched deeper than any postcard. These are the kinds of stories you’ll tell your grandkids, stories that will transform you from the inside out. Be careful, though. Once you experience this kind of exploration, the ordinary just won’t cut it anymore.
So, if you’re the kind of person who thinks running point to point, discovering a new place every day, traversing an itinerary on foot, and truly exploring sounds like a good idea—then you’re one of us. You’re welcome to come. Just be prepared for your life to get a little bit wilder, a little bit more meaningful, and a whole lot less predictable. It’s a terrible idea, really. But what an adventure!
For more insights into the world of trail running and its benefits, consider exploring resources like Wikipedia’s page on trail running or the International Trail Running Association (ITRA).
