Karthika Gupta is a Chicago-based photographer, podcaster, and journalist with over a decade of experience and bylines in Nat Geo, Vogue, Travel + Leisure, and Backpacker. She enjoys writing about destinations and brands in the outdoor, lifestyle and travel space. Follow her on Instagram @karthikagupta.
Even as running continues to grow in popularity at a seemingly exponential pace, for me, trail running has always been a deeply personal and often solitary pursuit—a way to clear my mind and connect with nature. Yet, there is something uniquely powerful about joining a running retreat, where I get the opportunity to experience that individual freedom while forging friendships with people that want to do the same thing. Often expertly guided, these journeys offer the chance to explore some of the world’s most breathtaking landscapes while sharing meaningful experiences beyond the trail.
“It can be difficult to make friends as an adult for a multitude of reasons and these retreats provide everything you need to begin and solidify those friendships,” says Jessica Robinson, an avid trail runner based in Indianapolis, Indiana, who has attended several retreats since 2017. “Some of my closest friends are people I met during these times.” Trail running retreats have also helped Robinson and other runners like her to build confidence in their running, offering a safe space to push limits, focus on self-care, and find support and camaraderie among others facing similar challenges.
Sometimes you don’t even need to go far from home. Trail retreats like the monthly group run hosted by Outlandish, New York City’s only Black-owned outdoor store, give runners a chance to enjoy all the benefits of trail running without ever boarding a plane. But if you are looking to run away (pun intended) on a retreat, below are my ten picks for the best run retreats based on location, duration, mileage, price, and level of difficulty. And of course, my own experience as a travel journalist and avid runner.
