Run the Trails began with a simple question: what if you could experience China’s most iconic trail run routes without the pressure of race day?
This journal shares how our first routes took shape. Shaped by years of participating in trail races, route scouting, and a belief that great trail running can also be a deeply considered holiday.
China has no shortage of iconic and challenging trail races. But it’s not realistic, or even desirable, to sign up for events every weekend. Sometimes, we want to run those same trails without pressure, crowds, or cut-off times. To pause, to take in the landscape, and to enjoy the route for what it is, not just how fast we can finish it.
At the same time, many of these trails come with real challenges: access, permits, accommodation, safety planning, water and checkpoint support, and language barriers when things don’t go to plan. These are the very things that make running freely difficult, and also why proper support matters.
My own background in horse riding played an unexpected role in shaping Run the Trails. Endurance riding and horse riding holidays often cover distances and terrain just as demanding as races, yet the experience feels completely different. There’s space to enjoy the moment, to explore deeper and more remote places, and to balance effort with recovery. That contrast stayed with me and became a key inspiration for how we design our trail running experiences.
As friends from overseas began asking us to help organise small trail running holidays, the idea took shape more clearly. Run the Trails is a natural extension of what we already love doing: running, exploring, and sharing meaningful experiences on the trail.
A Team Built on Complementary Experience
My role at Run the Trails (RTT) is vision, experience design, and storytelling — shaping journeys that feel worth travelling across the world for, not just as a runner, but as someone curious about place, culture, and movement.
That vision is brought to life by partners with deep experience in trail events and competitions. Our operations and events lead has spent years organising races and running them herself, translating trail concepts into seamless, safe, and well-supported experiences (from hotels and transport to checkpoint planning, permits, and recovery logistics). Behind us is a wider circle of advisors who bring competition, coaching, and operational insight to ensure every trip balances performance, enjoyment, and safety.
Why China, First
China is where we met, where we run, and where our relationships are strongest, particularly in trail backyard the Fragrant Hills in Beijing. It’s also a country whose trail running potential remains largely unexplored by international runners. The terrain is diverse, raw, and often surprising, offering experiences that still feel genuinely off the mainstream path.
Growing Slowly, by Design
We’re starting with a limited number of carefully selected routes. Growth, for us, means seasonal releases, testing new ideas, and refining each experience before scaling. Some future trips will align with local race events, including internationally rated races, allowing runners to combine a training-focused holiday with racing in a completely different environment.
What Makes a Run “RTT-Worthy”
Every Run the Trails route is chosen for a balance of runnable terrain, challenge, scenery, and cultural depth. All long runs are planned with fully-supported checkpoints, so runners don’t need to carry everything with them. This is a holiday, after all.
This is where our RTT On-Trail Concierge comes in. Instead of race-style self-sufficiency, our checkpoints are designed to support the flow of the run: fuel, hydration, fresh clothes, recovery moments, and the ability to re-pack only what’s needed for each section. Runners stay light, focused, and enjoy the trail while we take care of the logistics.
Runs are also shaped with performance in mind. Scenic, yes! But grounded in real trail technique, terrain-specific coaching, and shared experience on the run itself.
Looking Ahead
In 2026, we’ll expand thoughtfully across more regions in China as seasons open up, while beginning to explore routes in Southeast Asia. I’m still new to trail running myself and excited to keep discovering these landscapes on foot, and sometimes, hopefully, alongside horses.
Run the Trails is about finding the right balance: push when it’s time to run, slow down when it’s time to absorb the place. That balance is what we’re building toward >> one route at a time.