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Inside the era of Runcations
In cities across the world, pavements and park trails have long been filling before sunrise. In the half-light, hundreds gather stretching against railings, adjusting wearables, checking stats from the days before. Running, a commonplace global phenomenon that mobilises millions every year.
During the pandemic this simple movement practice became one of the few remaining freedoms. The Runkeeper app recorded a 667% rise in UK registrations in the year leading up to April 2020. Running offered structure when schedules disappeared and run clubs became accepted ways into community while we were still being told to socially distance. Confined to the same movement paths in a limited neighbourhood radius, people also began dreaming bigger. Travel bucket lists grew longer.
When the world finally reopened, that habit of running met the desire for travel, resulting in the rise of runcations. This is when people leisurely travel to go running, slightly different to racecations, where runners travel through participation in a run race. Both formats are among the fastest-growing segments within the wellness tourism industry.
Running is an efficient way to access more places than you otherwise would: mountain paths, coastal trails, forests, deserts. It combines an outdoorsy lifestyle with exploring life abroad.
Running has that democratic ring to it, just about anyone can do it, but ironically, participation in races these days is obnoxiously complicated. Only 2–3% of applicants were accepted into the 2025 New York City Marathon, apparently equivalent to Harvard admission rates. The London marathon keeps seeing the same surge in demand. With millions joining ballots all hoping for a bib, then raising funds for charity while getting new gear, fitting in training, and booking travel — the sheer mental load of it all is a lot, and, not so inclusive after all. Logistics often become the obstacle between runners and the sport.
A category of travel companies is thriving in this exact gap.
I spoke to Michael Mazzara, CEO of Rogue Expeditions, a company that organises guided running trips to some of the world's most striking destinations. Michael came to the business as a runner himself, not an elite one, but a committed and somewhat injury-prone one. He ambitiously set out to train for his first marathon in 30 days, soon getting hooked on the racing calendar. He also found that training for races kept delivering a pattern: injury, exhaustion and the pressure of time challenging his enjoyment of the process.
At the same time, he watched friends go on cycling tours, riding through Belgium, pedalling through landscapes slowly enough to actually look around, stopping here and there. He wondered why that kind of experience didn’t exist for runners.
It turns out it did. Rogue Expeditions was co-founded in 2012 by Allison Macsas and Gabe Steger with a simple conviction: that running is a gateway into the world's most extraordinary places, and that the best feeling happens not with a medal in hand at the finish line but off the beaten track. When the founders retired after the pandemic, Michael acquired the business. Today, Rogue Expeditions arrange over 30 trips a year across 15 countries, guiding nearly 500 runners through landscapes ranging from the soaring peaks of Patagonia and the emerald coastal shores of Nicaragua to the rainbow mountains near flowing lava in Iceland.
Michael spoke enthusiastically about the South Africa itinerary in particular, where runners experience both the dramatic coastline around Cape Town and the vineyards of Stellenbosch, widely considered one of the most beautiful running destinations in the world. Beyond the running itself, the trip includes visits to an ostrich farm and wildlife sightings on safari. Kenya is another destination he described as extraordinary for runners, combining altitude training with immersion both in lush nature and rich culture.
Rogue Expeditions sees participants from all walks of life; everyone is welcome. Typically, a participant may be in their 40s-50s, keen runners, lawyers, doctors, professionals who lead dense lives and seek to outsource what they can. Many used to take a racecation flying across the world to run a marathon and then going straight back home, having seen almost nothing outside the race tarmac. Now approximately 60% join solo, either because their spouse isn’t into running or simply because bucket lists don't overlap. What these participants are looking for is not to compete. They want to travel, they love running, and they'd rather someone else figured out the logistics.
Meticulous planning removes the typical stress that can surround travel, with the aim to design a dream runcation. "Think of it like this," Michael says "Somebody has taken a hundred running routes in Tuscany and selected the best seven, while also booked where to have the best pasta and wine while you're there. We curate the journey, so that runners can simply enjoy the experience."
Trips are organised across three levels, ranging from relaxed runs with generous time to stop and take in the surroundings, to technical routes demanding a stronger level of fitness. As Michael joked, if you want time to stop for a Daiquiri along the way, that would be a Level 1 trip. Level 3 routes, by contrast, often include terrain or altitude challenge in places such as the Dolomites.
Every route is scouted by the Rogue Expeditions’ team. They practise run in advance, researching not only the best trails but local history, culture and landmarks along the way. Restaurants are tested, attractions mapped out, and meeting places carefully chosen. Groups typically run in one region at a time before relocating together every couple of days.
Safety is part of the appeal, particularly for women who can find running alone in unfamiliar places a bit risky if one gets lost or injured or falls somewhere far away. Two guides accompany each run, one leading and one staying back so no one is left behind. This also addresses one of the most common hesitations people have before signing up; that they may be too slow or not fit enough to keep up. Regardless of pace on the trail, the group comes together for meals, another memorable part of the experience.
Michael shared a beautiful experience from Slovenia. After a morning run through vineyards, the group had gathered for an outdoor lunch prepared by a former Michelin-starred chef. As the dishes arrived, the chef described how the farmland surrounding the route they had run that morning had shaped the meal; grapes ripening in the sun, herbs picked earlier that day, wines paired with each course. “It felt like a European fever dream,” Michael said, recalling the moment the group sat together overlooking the valley. Participants speak about the sights, running slowly enough to take everything in. They often reach a moment of pure gratitude, as Michael puts it they say, “I can’t believe I get to experience this. This is freaking unbelievable.”
I asked which destinations were selling the fastest; indeed Slovenia, and Croatia are both consistently full, as is Morocco, sold out for a year. Not to mention Japan, with two privately launched trips selling out within 24 hours of opening. Such a hit that they’re already expanding to offer three trips next year, with a spring-time addition to counter the autumn runs. One of his favourite trips to date was preparing the itinerary for the 9-day Japan expedition, which required weeks of research. “Many travellers expect Japan to be defined entirely by ancient tradition”, Michael said, “yet there is a new generation of chefs and hoteliers who are reinterpreting their heritage dynamically.” The route moves through several contrasting regions, from Tokyo to the mountains of Hakuba in Nagano, rising 2,700 metres above the cloud line, then also experiencing onsens on quieter days and seeing Mount Fuji — giving runners a sense of both the historic and contemporary sides of the country.
Looking ahead, Norway is one of the locations Rogue Expeditions are currently exploring. The challenge is the country’s sheer length and diversity of terrain. Designing a route that captures both the southern mountain plateaus like Hardangervidda, and the rugged north with fjords and tundra would involve a mid-trip flight, requiring more time overall.
Listening to him describe these trips, what stood out most was the sense of awe in his voice. Runners arriving somewhere spectacular through their own effort, then sitting down together afterwards with the satisfaction of having earned the view.
Experiences like these point to an interesting evolution within wellness tourism. More people are prioritising health, maintaining their fitness routines while exploring the world. The geography gaining traction also reveals that people are craving simplicity, nature, silence and vast landscapes. While scouts have long enjoyed off-grid hiking, these trips offer a different pace through wilderness.
I enjoy running, less so a competition. Racing experiences can be hit and miss, but I do have many fond travel memories of runs. For example, the waterfront loop around Stanley Park in Vancouver, or trotting along the Tiber River in Rome at dawn, before the traffic soundscape spreads across the city.
Running has always had something meditative at its core, the rhythm of breath in sync with legs moving like drumsticks. What a runcation clearly offers, is the chance to feel that runner’s high somewhere extraordinary with likeminded folk. A travel experience that sounds rather transformative; physically demanding, socially fun and deeply awe-inspiring.
