Running Retreat in Switzerland with MTA 🇨🇭

Group photo from our 2024 retreat

Switzerland Running Retreat 2025

Join Angie, Trevor, and fellow listeners to the MTA Podcast in the Swiss Bernese Oberland -a place so beautiful that it’s other-worldly.

We will trail run from the picturesque villages of Mürren and Grindelwald in full sight of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau Mountains. Then we will participate in one of the classic Eiger trail races.

The tour starts on July 12th 2025. Please email us if you want to be added to the waiting list! There are currently 10 spots available.

About the Swiss Alps

The Swiss Alps could be considered the home of trail running. Mountain runners have been weaving their way along alp paths for decades. Be prepared to be greeted with an “Allez-Allez!” or a “Hop Hop!” when you run by local farmers. With a fantastic network of trails and huts and a long history and appreciation of mountain running, the region is a trail runner’s dream.

Running in the Bernese Oberland

Our week includes 2 nights in Mürren -a car-free mountain village with alp pastures and huts easily within our reach. (There’s an option in Mürren to go on a via ferrata climb with Trevor weather permitting).

There’s a night at one of the most special places in the Alps, Obersteinberg, a working farm high in the mountains. The Swiss call this beautiful and remote style inn a “Candlelight Hotel,” since there is only limited electrical power from a generator.

Then, it’s on to nearby Wengen -another picturesque car-free village.

Then we stay four nights in Grindelwald, literally at the base of the famed North Face of the Eiger. We’ll run through some of the most scenic terrain Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland has to offer.

Saturday is race day, as trail runners from around Europe converge on Grindelwald. You can participate in a race, or simply hike and run to cheer our crew on!

About the Eiger Ultra Trail Race

We want you to experience an official trail race in the Alps so the tour will culminate with the famous Eiger Ultra Trail by UTMB.

The Eiger Ultra Trail is ten years old, and quickly fills to capacity. It’s understandable why – consisting of a 16-km, 35-km, 51-km, and an epic 101-km course, the series offers something for everyone, with unrivaled mountain scenery on highly runnable trails. There’s a distance for every level for those who want to try a European trail race.

The Daily Itinerary (8-nights, 9-days)

July 12 – Arrival, Mürren: 3-star hotel: explore town, go for a shakeout run. Dinner included.

July 13 – Mürren: 3-star hotel, breakfast, trail snacks, light lunch, dinner included: 10-19 km (6-12mi), 300-1220m (1,000-4,000ft) ascent; several options exist.

July 14 – Obersteinberg: breakfast, trail snacks, light lunch, and dinner included: 9.3km (5.8mi), 848m (2782ft) descent, 984m (3228ft) ascent

July 15 – Wengen: 3-star hotel, breakfast, trail snacks, light lunch, and dinner included: 21km (13mi), 1052m (3451ft) ascent, 1555m (5102ft) descent

July 16 – Grindelwald: 4-star hotel, breakfast, trail snacks, light lunch, dinner included: 10-19km (6-12mi), 300-1220m (1000-4000ft) ascent; several options exist.

July 17 – Grindelwald: 4-star hotel, breakfast, trail snacks, light lunch, dinner included: 10-19km (6-12mi), 300-1220m (1000-4000ft) ascent; several options exist.

July 18 – Grindelwald: 4-star hotel, breakfast and trail snacks included. Dinner on your own in case anyone wants to get to bed early pre-race: 10-19km (6-12mi), 300-1220m (1000-4000ft) ascent; several options exist.

July 19 – Grindelwald: 4-star hotel, breakfast, trail snacks, and dinner included: Race Day!! Options include the E16, E25, and E51. Or 10-19km (6-12mi); 300-1220m (1000-4000ft) ascent; several options exist.

July 20 – Departure – tour ends after breakfast

Included:

3- and 4-star hotel and mountain inn bookings
Breakfast, trail snacks, and food at stops along the trail each day
Dinners 7 of 8 nights, except one in Grindelwald in case anyone wants to turn in earlier to rest up for race day
Luggage transfers to all stops, except Obersteinberg. Guests will need to carry a change of clothing and some personal items for this night. Information about fastpacking to be provided.
Run the Alps Guide to Trail Running in the Alps
Regional information & maps
Transportation to/from trailheads for included guided runs
Guided runs daily with an experienced Run the Alps guide

Not Included:

Transportation to and from Zurich airport. We can provide guidance on purchasing tickets and navigating the departure options
Extra transport to/from trail heads if you choose to alter the route for a given day
Race entry for an Eiger Ultra event. For any guests that would like to run a race there will be an additional $200 fee added to their tour balance
Drinks with dinners
Extra charges made at accommodations like room service or laundry
Flights
Gratuity for your guide

Pricing + Conditions:

$5,890 per guest. Pricing assumes double occupancy rooms. If anyone would like a private single room, where they’re available, a single supplement of $950 per person applies.

*Single supplements, or upgrading to a private room are not the norm in much of the Alps. In much of Europe, including the Alps, hotels charge based on the number of occupants, not just a flat rate for the room. It is more expensive to be in a private single room. Therefore, we charge a single supplement fee to cover the increased price difference for solo guests. On our trips, in some of the remote locations and small villages, single private rooms are often not available at any cost. On this trip, they are available in Murren, Wengen, and Grindelwald for a cost of $800. Not guaranteed at Obersteinberg Hut.