Dolomites Trail Running Holidays: The Complete Guide to Lavaredo
The Dolomites don't look real. Pale limestone towers erupt from green meadows. Ridgelines cut across empty sky like cathedral spires. Valleys disappear into mist below you while the trail ahead climbs towards another pass that opens onto something even more extraordinary. For trail runners, this is the mountain range that ruins all other mountain ranges. Here's everything you need to know about running it.
I've run in a lot of mountain ranges. The Alps, the Himalayas, the Caucasus, the Albanian Alps. But the Dolomites occupy a category of their own. It's the sheer visual drama of the place — pale rock towers rising vertically from impossibly green valleys, light that changes every hour, and a sense of scale that makes you feel simultaneously tiny and completely alive.
The Dolomites are also home to one of the world's most famous trail running routes — the Lavaredo Ultra Trail, a 120-kilometre circuit that winds through the heart of the range past some of the most iconic mountain scenery in Europe. Every year, thousands of runners race it. We don't race it. We run it in manageable stages over five days, with a support vehicle, expert guides, and the kind of experience that makes people rebook before they've even left Cortina.
If you've been thinking about a trail running holiday in the Dolomites, this guide covers everything — what the terrain is actually like, what to expect day by day, how fit you need to be, and why Lavaredo is consistently the trip our guests rate as the most visually spectacular of everything we offer.
Why the Dolomites for trail running?
The Dolomites are a UNESCO World Heritage mountain range in the northeast of Italy, straddling the border between the provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, and Belluno. The geology is unique — ancient coral reefs pushed skyward by tectonic forces, eroded into towers, pinnacles, and sheer walls of pale limestone that glow pink and orange at sunset. There is nothing else like them anywhere in Europe.
For trail runners, the Dolomites offer a rare combination. The trails are world-class — well-maintained, clearly marked, and incredibly varied. In a single day you can run through alpine meadows, along exposed ridgelines, past glacial lakes, and through dense woodland. The altitude sits mostly between 1,500 and 2,500 metres — high enough to feel like proper mountains, low enough to run comfortably without altitude acclimatisation.
And then there's Cortina d'Ampezzo — the elegant mountain town at the centre of it all. Host of the 1956 Winter Olympics and co-host of the 2026 Games, Cortina is surrounded by some of the most famous peaks in the Dolomites. It's the perfect base for a trail running trip because it sits in a natural amphitheatre with trails radiating in every direction. Run hard all day, return to an Italian mountain town with excellent restaurants and a cold Aperol Spritz waiting. That's the Dolomites formula.
The Lavaredo Ultra Trail route — in five days, not one
The Lavaredo Ultra Trail is normally run as a single continuous race — 120 kilometres with 5,200 metres of climbing, non-stop through the night. That's an extraordinary achievement for elite ultrarunners. For most people, it's inaccessible.
We take the same route and split it into five manageable stages of 18 to 25 kilometres per day. Same trails. Same scenery. Same iconic moments — the Tre Cime, Lake Misurina, Passo Giau. But at a pace that lets you look up, take it in, stop at a rifugio for coffee, and actually enjoy one of the greatest trail running routes on earth rather than surviving it.
You're based in Cortina for the entire trip, returning to the same hotel each evening. A support vehicle transfers you to and from the trail each day, and carries your heavier gear. You run with a light daypack — water, snacks, waterproof layer. That's it. Pop-up aid stations along the route mean you're never far from support.
"Lavaredo was hard, fun, challenging, uplifting and energizing. I personally felt stronger and more confident as the days went by — the magic of being in a group who lifts you up. The Pure Trails team genuinely cared about each and every one of us having the best experience possible." — Laura S, Lavaredo guest
What each day looks like
You start running directly from the hotel, heading north through Cortina before climbing through beautiful woodland on a series of switchbacks. The mountain views from the top set the tone for the entire week. It's a moderate opening day — enough to get the legs working and the lungs adjusting to altitude without breaking you before the big days ahead.
A beautiful but demanding day. Climbing into the valley of Padeon with the jagged peak of Pomagagnon at 2,450 metres off to your right, crossing a mountain pass, descending through a ski field into a wide valley, then emerging at the stunning shores of Lake Misurina. The lake finish is one of those moments that people photograph and never forget.
This is the day. Leaving Lake Misurina, the trail climbs to Rifugio Auronzo with panoramic views that take your breath away. Then the route contours along wide balcony paths towards Rifugio Lavaredo where the iconic Tre Cime towers rise like giants to your left — three massive pillars of pale rock, vertical and impossibly close. Over the pass and a steep descent into the valley leads to Lago Landro. This is the day that makes people rebook.
The quietest and most remote section of the trail. Alpine meadows at Rifugio Malga, dramatic canyons, waterfalls cascading over rock faces, and high passes through terrain where the Dolomites feel genuinely wild. You won't see another runner all day. It's a contrast to the drama of the Tre Cime — longer, more varied, and a day where you stop talking and just run, because the landscape doesn't need commentary.
Two beautiful climbs to high mountain passes, skirting impressive rock outcrops to Passo Giau. The trail traverses a stunning plateau at Lastoni di Formin with some of the best Dolomite panoramas of the entire week. A long downhill through dense woodland leads into the back of Cortina, finishing triumphantly at the steps of the bell tower. Lavaredo complete. Dinner and celebrations tonight.
How fit do you need to be?
This is an honest question that deserves an honest answer. Lavaredo is graded Challenging — it's our most demanding European trip. The daily distances of 18 to 25 kilometres are manageable, but the cumulative effect of five consecutive days of mountain running with significant elevation gain is considerable. You need strong legs, good cardiovascular fitness, and the mental willingness to keep going on day five when your body would rather not.
As a guide, if you're running 35 to 50 kilometres per week with regular hill work, and you've done some multi-day running or hiking before, you'll be well prepared. If you've completed a trail marathon or an ultra, Lavaredo will feel like a dream week. If your longest run is a parkrun, this isn't the right trip — start with Exmoor or the Lake District and build towards Lavaredo for 2027.
Every day is fully guided and supported. You can walk the climbs. You can take breaks. Your guides will set a pace that works for the group and nobody gets left behind. But you do need the base fitness to cover the distance and enjoy it rather than endure it.
Your base: Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina is one of the most beautiful mountain towns in Europe. Set in a wide valley surrounded by dramatic Dolomite peaks on every side, it has the feel of a place that's been welcoming visitors for a long time — because it has. The town hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics and co-hosted the 2026 Games, and it carries itself with an understated elegance that makes it a joy to return to each evening.
Your hotel sits centrally, within walking distance of the main pedestrian street, restaurants, bars, and shops. After a day in the mountains, you can shower, wander into town for a gelato, and settle into a restaurant for an Italian dinner that makes the entire day feel like a celebration. The combination of world-class mountain running and a genuinely charming base town is what makes Lavaredo feel more like a holiday than a challenge — even though it's definitely both.
Getting there
Flights land at Venice Marco Polo Airport, with direct services from most major UK and European airports. From Venice, the drive to Cortina takes approximately two hours through increasingly spectacular scenery as the Dolomites rise around you. We arrange group transfers on arrival and departure day — you just need to get yourself to Venice.
"When looking for a running tour for my 40th birthday, Pure Trails was the most responsive and helpful company I dealt with so I booked. The experiences outweighed even my highest hopes. I can't recommend Pure Trails and the Lavaredo enough." —Libby N, Lavaredo Guest June 2025
When to go
We run Lavaredo in July, when the Dolomites are at their best. The high passes are clear of snow, the days are long, and the weather is typically warm and settled — though mountain weather is mountain weather, and you should always be prepared for a cold and wet day at altitude. Daytime temperatures at valley level sit in the mid-twenties; at the high passes, expect 10 to 15 degrees cooler. Layers and a waterproof are essential every day.
Who is this trip for?
Lavaredo attracts a specific kind of runner. People who've done a few trail runs and want to step up. People who've raced an ultra and want to experience the Dolomites without the pressure of competition. People who've done an Amalfi or Albania trip with us and are ready for the next challenge.
If you're travelling solo — over 90% of our guests do. Lavaredo is a trip that bonds groups particularly well because the shared challenge of five days in the mountains creates a connection that's hard to replicate anywhere else. The evening meals in Cortina, the summit celebrations, the collective exhaustion at the end of day five — these are the moments that turn strangers into lifelong friends.
If you've been dreaming about running in the Dolomites, this is the trip. There isn't a better way to experience the Lavaredo trail than this — properly guided, properly supported, and at a pace that lets you take in every extraordinary moment.
Lavaredo: The Ultimate Trail
7 days in the Dolomites. 120km of the Lavaredo Ultra Trail route. Fully guided, fully supported, based in Cortina d'Ampezzo. From £2,295pp. 2027 dates opening soon — register interest to be first in line.
