In short
The best ski resorts for runners in a marathon block keep prepared paths beside the pistes. St. Moritz and the Engadin have marked winter running routes over frozen lakes at around 1,800 m, Chamonix has a groomed valley footpath next to some twenty kilometres of Nordic trails, and Les 2 Alpes has paths runners share with walkers.
A spring marathon means building your biggest weeks through the winter, just as the snow gets good. A ski week does not have to cost you the long run. The resorts below keep paths you can run on after a fresh fall, and two of them sit beside cross-country ski trails that give your legs a break from the pounding while your lungs keep working. Plan it around the race, not instead of it, and the trip becomes part of the block. For trips built around the sport, start with running holidays with theKlub.
Where to stay
Running hotels in Chamonix
Hotels we picked for the sport: the right location, and the facilities an active stay needs.
Can you ski while training for a marathon?
Skiing fits a marathon block when the ski week sits well before the taper and the skiing stays within your level. A taper is the stretch of reduced training before race day, and among more than 158,000 recreational marathoners, strict tapers of up to 3 weeks went with better finish times than shorter ones: a median 2.6 per cent faster for a strict 3-week taper. That puts the last three weeks before the race off limits for a ski trip. Downhill skiing also carries its own risk to a runner's legs: the long ski and the fixed ankle in the boot turn the knee into a fulcrum, so a twisted ski twists the knee, and ACL and MCL injuries are what keep orthopaedic surgeons busy after a big snow weekend. ACL surgery can mean nine to 12 months of recovery. Book the ski week in the base or build phase, and arrive with six to eight weeks of conditioning in your legs.
So who does a ski week suit? A runner a long way out from race day, with strong legs and the patience to ski within themselves. Heidi Caldwell, running director at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Vermont, phases out her heavy ski days as race day nears, and that is the shape to copy: more snow early in the block, less as the race comes closer, none in the taper. Warm up on easy runs before you push on the slopes, and keep your key sessions on foot, because nothing mimics running like running. Racing Boston this spring? Our guide to running Boston's routes, hills and group runs plans the trip after this one.
Which ski resorts have cleared paths for winter running?
Three Alpine resorts keep paths you can run on all winter: St. Moritz and the Engadin in Switzerland, Chamonix in France, and Les 2 Alpes. Each suits a different kind of week.
- St. Moritz and the Engadin: marked winter running routes on winter hiking paths, from a 9.9 km loop to a 16.7 km run over three frozen lakes. Best for the long run at altitude.
- Chamonix: a groomed 4 km footpath through the Bois du Bouchet, open daily from 19 December to 19 April, beside some twenty kilometres of Nordic trails. Best for easy valley miles and ski days in one week.
- Les 2 Alpes: paths that trail runners, walkers and snowshoers share in the Vallée Blanche area, a valley route along the Vénéon river from Venosc, and flat resort lanes. Best for short runs between ski days.
Les 2 Alpes gives runners the most variety on snow, with a catch. The Venosc cable car reaches the 2 Alpes plateau in under 8 minutes, and the Venosc valley below it usually holds less snow, which makes it the easier place for steady miles. After the lifts close, some runners climb the Demoiselles green run, a green being the easiest grade of piste, up to the Crêtes at 2,100 m. The Les 2 Alpes Trail Association is clear that it is the only piste tolerated, and that you never run on the others. The piste groomers, the machines that flatten the snow overnight, start work as soon as the pistes shut, so finish before they do.
For a long, flat run, the Engadin wins. For a week that mixes skiing and easy running, Chamonix does it best. If you want to compare French resorts on the snow first, our guide to the right ski area in France for your level lays them out.
No hosted running trip in Chamonix yet. Want to hear first when there is one?
No password. We email you a 6-digit code.
Run the frozen lakes of St. Moritz and the Engadin
Head to St. Moritz for the long run, because its winter routes are flat, marked and high. The town sits at around 1,800 m, and the Engadin's winter hiking paths double as running routes once the snow is down. The Surlej loop is 9.9 km with 106 m of height difference, starting at the St. Moritz cross-country skiing centre and passing the Olympic ski jump, Lej Marsch, Lake Champfèr and Lej Nair, a small lake in the forest. The big one is Maloja to St. Moritz: 16.7 km from the post office in Maloja across Lake Sils, Lake Silvaplana and Lake Champfèr, running beside the Engadin Ski Marathon trail almost the whole way.
The Engadin Ski Marathon is the only marathon in this guide you would need skis for. Two rules matter here. Stay off the lakes until the winter hiking trails across them are marked and prepared, and check the wind before a point-to-point run: with the Maloja wind, the Maloja route is much more pleasant. February averages a high of 0.7 °C and a low of minus 8.3 °C, and the Engadinwind makes it feel colder, so pack a windproof jacket. The altitude affects stamina and hydration, so drink more than you would at home and keep your first runs easy. The routes, terrain and summer trails are on our page for running in St. Moritz & Engadin Valley.
Base yourself in Chamonix for valley runs and Nordic loops
Stay in Chamonix if you want to ski and run in the same week with both on the doorstep. A groomed footpath leaves the Maison Nordique at 1,031 m and runs 4 km through snowy forest on the valley floor, with views of Les Drus and just 40 m of climbing. Yellow markings keep walkers and runners off the ski tracks, so follow them. Next door, the Nordic area has some twenty kilometres of trails groomed for classic and skating, in three loops of 3 km, 6.3 km and 11.7 km, plus Thursday evening sessions from 6 pm to 8 pm hosted by ESF Chamonix. January averages a high of 4.0 °C and a low of minus 4.3 °C, milder than the Engadin. Routes for every level are on our page for running in Chamonix.
The table below lists the hotels near Chamonix that theKlub rates for runners, with their stars and guest ratings. Héliopic Hôtel & Spa, a 4-star, scores 10.0 out of 10 from 148 reviews, and Chalet Hôtel La Sapinière is the 3-star pick at 9.6.
| Hotel | Town | Guest rating |
|---|---|---|
| Auberge de La Maison | Courmayeur | 9.8 / 10 |
| Hôtel Mont Blanc Chamonix | Chamonix-Mont-Blanc | 9.6 / 10 |
| Les Grands Montets Hôtel & Spa | Chamonix-Mont-Blanc | 9.2 / 10 |
| Héliopic Hôtel & Spa | Chamonix-Mont-Blanc | 10.0 / 10 |
| La Cubelette | Chamonix-Mont-Blanc | 9.8 / 10 |
| Grand Hôtel des Alpes | Chamonix-Mont-Blanc | 9.6 / 10 |
| Chalet Hôtel La Sapinière | Chamonix-Mont-Blanc | 9.6 / 10 |
| Appartements de l'Heliopic | Chamonix-Mont-Blanc | 9.6 / 10 |
For a 5-star base in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Hôtel Mont Blanc Chamonix holds a guest rating of 9.6 out of 10 from 88 reviews.
How does cross-country skiing work as marathon cross-training?
Cross-country skiing works as marathon cross-training because it is low-impact and highly aerobic: you build the engine without the pounding. It works the glutes, hamstrings and core, the big three for runners, and recruits the adductors and small stabilising muscles that road running barely touches. It also adds time on your feet, since a three-hour ski is far easier on the body than a three-hour run. Heidi Caldwell of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center counts a 90-minute ski as roughly equal to a 60-minute run of the same effort, which is a useful rule for swapping sessions on a ski week.
Keep the hard work on foot and the easy work on skis. Intensity sessions on the road train the turnover and leg speed a marathon needs, while skiing makes a recovery day truly easy, because your heart rate drops on every downhill. Too much skiing builds muscle a runner does not need, so treat it as a supplement, not a swap. Chamonix's Nordic loops start a short walk from the town centre, and in St. Moritz the Surlej running loop starts at the cross-country skiing centre, so a ski in the morning and a short run after it is easy to set up.
Frequently asked questions
Is training at altitude good for a marathon?
Running high can help endurance, and the Engadin lets you run between 1,800 and 3,300 m. The altitude also affects stamina and hydration, so the first days feel harder than they should. Keep the opening runs easy, drink more than you would at home, and save the long run for later in the week.
What shoes do you need to run on snow?
Trail shoes with good grip are the basics, with treaded soles that are not worn smooth. Clip-on crampons fit over ordinary running shoes for icy paths and give you more confidence. Watch for patches of ice, which can be barely visible, and run in existing tracks when there is fresh powder.
Can you run on ski pistes?
Mostly no. In Les 2 Alpes, the Demoiselles green run is tolerated for runners after the lifts close, and the rule from the Les 2 Alpes Trail Association is never to run on the others. Piste groomers start work once the pistes shut. In Chamonix, the yellow-marked footpath keeps runners off the cross-country ski tracks.
What should you wear for a winter run in the Alps?
Cover your hands and head first. In the midday sun you need fewer layers than you think, but after dark the air turns cold, so bring every layer and a headlamp. In the Engadin, a windproof jacket matters. On longer runs, carry a small rucksack with energy bars, water, a first-aid kit and a charged phone.
A ski week and a spring marathon can share a winter. Choose the resort by the run you need most: the long, flat miles across the Engadin lakes, or easy valley running and Nordic loops in Chamonix. Then open your training plan, find the week that sits furthest from the taper, and book the trip around it.
