October 4, 2014. Elinor Fish
The Soul of Our Trail Running Adventures
What we do here in places like the Costa Brava, Costa Rica, Sicily, or Morocco, it’s the result of years of running, of taking people like you through these incredible areas. We use running as a way to discover, a means of transportation, not just to get fit or slim. It’s about exploring, like our ancestors did, moving from point to point, seeing a new place every single day.
I always tell people, these trail running adventures create memories and stories you’ll tell your grandkids. They will change you, transform you. Be careful, because you will go back home a different person. We’ve seen it happen. I remember one couple, they came on a trip, married but not to each other. On the next trip, they were married to each other! Or many couples who tell us, “This baby wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for you, we were going to get divorced anyway.” It’s profound, these experiences, they truly reshape lives.
Sicily: From Sea to Summit on Trail Running Adventures
Our guide, Pasquale Mangione, he talks about Sicily with such passion. Imagine this: we start from the sea, running inland, through these incredible rural landscapes. We pass through ancient mountain villages, places where time feels like it’s slowed down. Then, instead of just climbing the highest peaks, we traverse the valleys, finding the ‘weak points’ of the mountains, discovering routes only runners can access.
From there, we descend back towards the sea, maybe spending a night in a beautiful village like Isnello, where you can practically see the Mediterranean from your window. The next day, another run takes us above Cefalù, a stunning coastal town. Because of the unique geomorphology of the coast there – where the mountains literally plunge into the sea – we might need a quick, small transfer. But it’s just a short hop, a fast shuttle, and then we’re in Cefalù, ready for a well-earned dip in the sea. These Sicilian trail running adventures are a journey through history and breathtaking nature.
Morocco: A Journey Through Time and Trail
Morocco is another place that gets right into your soul. We run 15, 16 miles a day, sure, but it’s always about the people, the experience. Abdu, one of our amazing guides there, he embodies it. We sit with nomadic families, sharing meals, drinking cup after cup of tea. There’s no changing money, no formality, just connection.
I remember one day, waking up at 3 AM in the desert. Running behind Abdu for two hours in the deep sand. Then we stopped, and he showed us the stars. I swear, you could see every single one, just hanging there, so close. After that two hours of running and walking, we were perfectly timed to watch the most beautiful sunrise you can imagine. Those are the moments we live for, the ones we create in small groups.
One of my most extraordinary days, it was in Morocco. We were running in the middle of nowhere, towards a place I didn’t even know. This was in the Atlas Mountains, tackling a 4,000-meter peak, the second highest in North Africa. We were so far from everything, five and a half hours in the opposite direction from where any tourist bus would go. Then, unexpectedly, we discovered this incredible valley, this beautiful oasis. People lived there just like they did 500 years ago, completely untouched by our century. It felt like time travel.
We met the most beautiful human beings there. I’ve been trying to learn Berber for nine years, and I still struggle, but these people, they communicate with their hearts. We found this little family by an irrigation channel in a deep canyon. A 12-year-old girl, with a face so pure, immediately ran off to find wood, started a fire for us. Then they invited us for tea in their home. How could we say no? It’s these moments of raw human connection that truly define our trail running adventures.
Costa Rica: Where Trail Running Adventures Transform Lives
Costa Rica also holds a special place in my heart for these transformations. It’s not just about the incredible cloud forests or the challenging trails; it’s about what happens to people when they are immersed in that kind of raw nature and authentic experience. We’ve seen couples find each other, or rediscover their connection, because these trips strip away the distractions and leave you with what truly matters. Our Costa Rica running retreats are designed to push your limits and open your heart.
Writer and runner Rachel Sturtz has run many races and travel to many destinations throughout her career.
“Trying to travel to races is always fun,” says Sturtz, “but it comes with trying to stay off your legs before the race, morning-of nervousness, and the post-race wobble for the rest of the trip.” “When I had the opportunity to join Pablo on his Costa Brava trail exploration, the trip was less about running and more about the blissful high of exploration.” Running became a means of transportation from one castle to the next. I was never tired, I ran at my own pace, and I came away wanting more!”
Her running adventures
last year with Run the World Adventure co-founder, Pablo Rodriguez, merged two of Sturtz’s passions in a whole new way.
But it comes with trying to stay off your legs before the race, morning-of nervousness, and the post-race wobble for the rest of the trip.
Read Sturtz’s feature story in the October/November 2014 edition of Running Times entitled, “Have Shoes, Will Travel.”
“Fitness travel has been increasingly popular in recent years,” she says, “but as any well-traveled harrier knows, no race is required to explore a nation on foot, and there’s a ritualistic warmth in bringing out a map over morning coffee.” “This new type of travel seeks to take care of everything for you, including outfitting you with GPS watches, transporting your belongings, feeding you, and introducing you to the locals.”
_Running and Vacations together
And that’s a unifying concept behind NomaTrails: to take the work out of vacation planning, organizing and logistics so that you can show up care free and ready to run.
Since all the trips we offer are non-competitive, there’s no pressure to run at a certain pace or finish within a certain timeframe. The relaxed pace allows you to truly sink into “vacation mode” while exploring often remote routes far from the beaten paths that most tourists frequent.
