Running Holidays for Singles: Why Travelling Alone is the Best Decision You'll Make
Over 90% of the people who travel with Pure Trails arrive alone. They don't know anyone in the group. Most of them were nervous before they booked. Almost all of them say it was the single best holiday decision they've ever made. This is the honest guide to what running holidays for singles are actually like — and why so many people come back for more.
I need to be straight with you about something. If you've landed on this page, you're probably in one of two situations. Either your partner doesn't run and you've been staring at running holidays thinking I'd love to do that but I don't have anyone to go with. Or your friends can't commit to the dates, the budget, the distance — and you're quietly wondering if it's weird to book something like this on your own.
It's not weird. It's how most people do it.
I founded Pure Trails in 2019. Since then, we've taken over 500 people to thirteen destinations across three continents. And the one thing that surprises people most when they hear about us isn't the destinations. It's the fact that the vast majority of our guests travel solo.
The thing nobody tells you about running holidays for singles
There's a reason running holidays work so well for single travellers, and it has nothing to do with the running.
When you book a beach holiday alone, you sit by the pool alone. You eat dinner alone. The holiday is the same experience it would have been with company, except quieter. Running holidays are structurally different. You're sharing something physical and challenging with a small group of people. You're out on trails together for hours. You eat together. You laugh at the same hills. You suffer through the same climbs and stand on the same summits with the same wind in your face.
That shared intensity creates connection faster than almost anything else in life. By the end of day one, you're not strangers anymore. By day three, you're making plans for which trip to do next together. By the time you fly home, you've got a WhatsApp group that will still be active in two years.
I've watched it happen on every single trip we've ever run. It never gets old.
"I came away with amazing memories, new friends, more confidence on the trails and a real sense of achievement. I was genuinely sad to leave. If you're considering a Pure Trails trip, I'd recommend it without hesitation." — Hannah F, Amalfi Coast, June 2026"
What does a running holiday for singles actually look like?
If you've never done one, it's completely normal to have no idea what to expect. So here's an honest picture of how a typical day plays out on a Pure Trails trip.
You meet the group for breakfast at the hotel. Your guide talks through the day's route — distance, elevation, what to look out for, where the big views are. There's coffee. There's nervous energy if it's day one. There's laughter if it's day four.
This is important. You run at your pace, not anyone else's. The group naturally spreads out. Some people push the climbs. Some people walk them. Your guide is there to make sure everyone is safe, supported and having a brilliant time. There's no pressure, no race, no judgement. Just stunning trails and good company.
After the run, the afternoon is free. Some people explore the town. Some find a pool or a beach. Some sit on a terrace with a cold drink and watch the world go by. It's your holiday. Nobody tells you what to do with it.
Dinner is where the group bonds. A long table at a local restaurant. Stories from the trail. Plans for tomorrow. The kind of conversation that only happens when people have spent a day doing something extraordinary together. This is the part that people remember most — not the running, not the views, but the evenings.
Who actually books running holidays as a single traveller?
There's no single profile. Our solo guests include GPs, teachers, architects, software engineers, retirees, students, military veterans, parents whose kids have left home, and people who've just been through a divorce and want to do something for themselves. The youngest solo guest we've had was 24. The oldest was 68.
What they share is this: they love running, they love travel, and they refused to let the fact that nobody else could come stop them from going.
Some of them are experienced trail runners. Some have never left a pavement before booking with us. Both are welcome. Our trip grading system makes it clear which adventures suit which level of experience, so you can book with confidence that you're choosing something right for you.
The fears — and the honest answers
I've spoken to hundreds of solo bookers before their trips. The same concerns come up every time. Here are the honest answers.
Will I be the only one on my own?
Almost certainly not. On most of our trips, the majority of the group has booked solo. You won't be the odd one out. You'll be in excellent company.
What if I'm not fast enough?
Our trips aren't races. Every route is fully guided and supported. You run at your own pace, take breaks when you want, walk the climbs if you need to. The trail is there to be enjoyed, not endured.
What about the room situation?
We offer single room upgrades on every trip, usually for an additional £100–£200. Most solo guests take it. Your own space to recharge after a big day in the mountains is worth every penny.
What if I don't click with the group?
In seven years and over 500 guests, I can count on one hand the number of times someone hasn't gelled with the group. Running together is a remarkably effective bonding mechanism. You share something real on the trail and the barriers come down fast. But if you do need space, nobody will think twice about it. The afternoon free time is exactly that — free.
"Likeminded people, hugely experienced guides, and heaps of laughter. Everything I had hoped for and more. These are really special trips from a company that cares. It was magic." — Abbie L, Mallorca, May 2026"
The best running holidays for singles in 2026 and 2027
Not every trip is created equal when it comes to solo travellers. Some destinations bond groups faster than others. Here are the ones I'd recommend if it's your first time travelling alone.
Every one of these trips has a track record of bonding solo travellers into lasting groups. The Amalfi trip in particular has become something of a gateway — it's short enough to feel manageable, beautiful enough to feel special, and the evening culture along the coast gives the group natural time to connect.
Arrive solo, leave as friends
We didn't invent this phrase as a marketing line. It came from the guests themselves. It's what they write in their reviews. It's what they tell their friends. It's what happens, trip after trip, year after year.
Running holidays for singles work because they solve the fundamental problem of solo travel — loneliness — without forcing you into the artificial sociability of a big group tour. You're not wearing a lanyard and following a flag. You're running with a small group of like-minded people who chose the same adventure for the same reasons you did.
If you've been thinking about it, stop thinking. Book the trip. You won't be the only one who arrived alone. And you definitely won't leave that way.
Ready to take the leap?
Browse our upcoming trips, or book a free 10-minute call with Charlie to talk through which adventure is right for you. No pressure — just an honest conversation about what to expect.
