Trail Running for Digital Nomads and Remote Workers: Your Guide to Running While You Travel
For many of us, the ability to work from anywhere has opened up new possibilities for how we live and explore the world. If you find yourself seeking adventure beyond your laptop screen, embracing the concept of trail running for digital nomads might be your next great journey. At NomaTrails, we understand this desire for authentic exploration, blending the freedom of running with deep cultural immersion.
We are a family business, creating running experiences since 2010, initially as “Run the World Adventures” before rebranding to NomaTrails in 2026. We were among the first to offer running as a holiday, and our philosophy remains clear: running is a means of transport, not an end. We don’t race the clock; instead, we focus on small groups, authentic experiences, and genuine human connections. We believe our guests are not just clients, but friends joining our nomadic family.
Our Philosophy: Running as Exploration
Our approach to running is deeply rooted in discovery. As our founders often say, “We use running just as a means of transportation — not to improve our fitness or get slimmer, but a way to discover, as an exploration, like our ancestors did in the past.” This means every step you take with us is about traversing territory and exploring new places, not about setting personal bests. Our local guides, who are an integral part of our founder-led family company, share culture, history, and interesting facts about the regions we explore.
We only run in places where we have a deep relationship, ensuring an authentic experience that goes beyond typical tourism. This philosophy naturally aligns with the spirit of digital nomads who seek to truly experience a destination rather than just pass through it.
Trail Running for Digital Nomads: A NomaTrails Approach
The nomadic lifestyle often brings unique considerations, and we’ve designed our adventures with these in mind.
Finding Trails Anywhere
Our tours are crafted to help you discover new places every day, running point-to-point through diverse landscapes. Whether it’s the historic Camí de Ronda along the Costa Brava, remote valleys in the Atlas Mountains, or cloud forests in Costa Rica, we offer access to trails that allow you to truly immerse yourself. We go to places where running is often the most efficient way to explore, allowing you to run from town to town through trails, forests, beaches, castles, and monasteries, sleeping every day in a different ancient village.
Gear That Fits a Carry-On
We understand the need to pack light when you travel. For many of our journeys, daily luggage transportation is included, moving your belongings between hotels. We encourage packing light, and soft backpacks are preferred over hard suitcases to accommodate van space. You’ll typically need summer running clothes, casual clothes, a swimming costume for opportunities to jump into the sea, and sun cream. A windstop jacket can also be useful for certain routes, such as in Sicily.
Training Consistency Across Time Zones
Our adventures are not ultra-runner events or competitions. They are designed to accommodate different running abilities, with daily stages that can often be shortened, hiked, or lengthened. Our focus is on the journey and the experience, not the pace. This means you don’t need to stress about maintaining peak race fitness across different time zones. We encourage stops for swimming, photos, and refreshments, making the experience enjoyable and accessible.
Safety Solo Abroad
Client security is a top priority for us. We utilize GPS tracking to monitor your location in real time. Our trips are founder-led, and we only work with local guides who have deep knowledge of the terrain and culture. For instance, in Morocco, we run with local Berber guides, and our founders have lived there with their children, considering it a very safe destination. If you are a solo traveler, you are welcome to join an existing group; there is no need to meet a minimum group size on your own.
Running as the Way to Know a Place
Our tours are designed to create transformative memories and stories. As our founders put it, these are “memories and stories you can tell your grandkids. Stories that will change you, that will transform you. You’ll go back home changed.” Running with us means exploring the real essence of Catalonia, experiencing Mediterranean cuisine as a key part of the journey, or crossing from the High Atlas to the Sahara on foot, traveling to the past through remote villages.
Our Running Vacations: A Nomadic Family Experience
We offer a range of our running vacations, each crafted to provide a unique and immersive experience. Spaces on every trip are small and strictly limited, filling quickly to ensure an intimate group experience.
Costa Brava – “The Gourmet Trail”
This adventure, which started it all back in 2010, is our most flexible and least demanding. It offers daily stages ranging from 12 to 24 km, fully adaptable to your preferences. You’ll explore the historic Camí de Ronda, dramatic cliffs and turquoise coves, charming fishing villages, and forest sections, including our own private trails. Catalan gastronomy is a core part of the experience, with breakfast and dinner included daily, and ample time to enjoy meals as you run from town to town. This tour runs from Girona to Cadaqués, and on Day 6 in Cap de Creus, it includes a wine tasting, finishing the day’s run at a winery near Cadaqués.
Morocco – “Atlas to Sahara”
For those seeking the most epic adventure, our Atlas to Sahara journey offers a crossing from the High Atlas to the Sahara on foot, through remote villages. This is truly a time-traveling experience, where you’ll spend approximately two days with no phone signal, staying in simple but welcoming accommodation and enjoying excellent traditional Moroccan food. Daily runs are around 25 km, supported by 4×4 assistance points and mules for luggage. The trails are mostly non-technical, though one section involves river crossings over small rocks. Bottled water is always available, and you’ll be guided by only local Berber guides, invited to come with respect to learn, not to teach.
Pyrenees to Med – “The Cross-Border Classic”
This point-to-point crossing takes you from the vineyards of French Catalonia, over the roof of the Pyrenees, summiting Canigó mountain, and down to the Mediterranean. You’ll traverse high passes, remote valleys, forests, and medieval villages, staying in welcoming guesthouses and one mountain-refuge night. Food is locally sourced (km-0) and mostly handmade, featuring homemade jams and fresh bread. Our guides carry most of the weight, and reaching the Mediterranean at the end is an intensely emotional experience. This unique journey runs once per year only, due to specific snow and heat windows.
West of Sicily – “The Mediterranean Jewel”
Our Sicily running adventure is one of our most refined journeys. You’ll explore wild nature reserves, ancient villages, and stay in sea-view hotels. Sicily, a crossroads of cultures from Africa, Europe, and the Mediterranean, provides a rich backdrop for exploration. We run by day and share long meals in the evening, as food is an integral part of the journey and a moment for connection. This experience offers a strong contrast: effort during the day, with softness in the evenings.
Costa Rica – “The Jungle Expedition”
Our wildest and most demanding adventure, the Costa Rica South Pacific Jungle Adventure, takes you from the 3,450 m summit of Cerro de la Muerte, down through cloud forest and jungle to the wild South Pacific coast. This expedition, occurring once per year, involves river crossings and homestays. It is mentally intense due to the heat, humidity, and dense vegetation, and is designed for experienced trail runners with strong fitness. We emphasize group effort with no pace pressure, supported by a strong local team. Interested runners have a pre-trip call with a founder to confirm it’s a good fit, as in the jungle, nature rules.
FAQ
What is included in a NomaTrails trip?
Our trips typically include hotel accommodation (double occupancy), breakfast and dinner daily, guide services, local transfers, and daily luggage transportation. Client security is a top priority, and we track your location in real time via GPS.
What is the typical group size?
We keep our groups small and intimate, ranging from 4 to 12 runners, to ensure a personalized and connected experience.
Can I join as a solo traveler?
Yes, you can join an existing group. There is no need to meet the minimum group size on your own. A single supplement is usually available for a private room.
When are NomaTrails tours available?
Our tours are generally not offered in December, January, February (due to cold or bad weather) or July, August (due to extreme heat). The best months to come are typically in spring and autumn.
If you’re the kind of person who thinks running point-to-point, discovering a new place every day, is a good idea, then you’re one of us. We are lucky enough to do what we love as our way of living, and we invite you to join our nomadic family. We believe in creating memories and stories that will change and transform you.
We encourage you to explore our available dates and find the adventure that calls to you. Visit our calendar to see upcoming trips. For any questions, please contact us at info@nomatrails.com.
