Spring Camp – May 14-19 – sold out / Fall Camp – September 10-15 – 3 spots left
Learn about trail running through expert education and interactive runs in one of the top trail running locations in the US
Trail running is poised to become the fastest growing outdoor sport in the country. You will find out why when you experience trail running in the majestic Rocky Mountains! Come and join us for six days focused on trail running, with expert coaching, interactive group trail runs, workshops on physiological training and mental training, floor or yoga session, video of running form, great food, camaraderie, and more…
Whether you’re a newbie to trail running, or an experienced trail runner, this camp will ignite your natural response to trail running, connecting you with nature and how incredibly alive and joyful this can make you feel. Trail Running has become our passion – the Estes Park area is an incredible area for trail running; challenging, inspiring and breathtaking. Miles of trails with choices varying from easy to extremely challenging. This is a runner’s paradise, with over 300 days a year of sunshine, clean clear air, and majestic views pretty much whichever way you look.
For 2019 we continue with our popular extended 6 day camps, running Tuesday afternoon through to Sunday morning. The extended duration gives us an opportunity to cover more content than in our previous four day camps. Both camps include comfortable accommodation for 5 nights, as well as all meals and drinks.
Many runners come with an expectation that trail running will be too hard for them – the reality is that it is challenging; however the mental, and spiritual benefits far outweigh the physical challenges, and it takes us back to a natural environment where we can feel more at home. If you have never been to a Trail Running Camp before and don’t know what to expect, here is a great article written by Diana Norcross after her experience at our April 2011 camp!
Special guest athletes We have been fortunate to have some pretty darn amazing trail runners join us for our camps in previous years. The list of star athletes has included folks like Sage Canaday, Melody Fairchild, Hillary Allen, and Peter Maksimow.
These camps are in partnership with ATRA (American Trail Running Association) – the only non-profit corporation to serve the trail and mountain running community. Their mission is to represent and promote trail and mountain running. They offer individual, club, race and corporate memberships – each participant in these camps receives a one year membership of ATRA, including all member benefits, and an annual subscription to both Trail Runner Magazine, and Runners World. We encourage all Trail Runners to become ATRA members!
How you benefit
• learn how to float over trails, not fight against them
• understand how posture impacts your running experience
• learn about sustainable training and how to include this in your life
• learn about trail shoes and gear, and have a chance to demo awesome trail shoes
• learn about the positive running movement® and mental training for performance, experience and life
• learn what blocks you create to being the best version of you and how to unlock them
• learn how to achieve relaxation and flow in your running
Our camps are for both beginner and more experienced trail runners. We give you tools to either start your trail running career, or kick start a renewed love for trail running if that’s what you are looking for. We recommend that runners attending our camps can already complete at least a 10K distance on roads without stopping.
If you’re unsure about your suitability for one of these camps, feel free to contact us, either by e-mail or call 303-304-9159.
| Accommodation type | Rate | Number available |
|---|---|---|
| Single room & private bath | $1600 | 1 |
| Single room & shared bath | $1450 | 3 |
| Double room & shared bath | $1250 | 1 |
| Bunk room and shared bath | $1100 | 3 |
Click on the register button on the page below. This takes you to the registration page for this camp – complete your personal details along with credit or debit card details. Initial payment at time of registration is 50% of camp cost. The balance is due on or before April 1, 2019 for the Spring camp, and on or before August 1, 2019 for the Fall camp. You will receive a reminder for the balance payment and be able to pay online.
Each camp includes accommodation (2 runners per room sharing in a double room – 4 in bunk room – single room options available), guided trail runs, coaching, workshops, video of running form, all meals, water and juices, group transport, towels, bedding, and usually some schwag too.
Camps start at 4.00 pm on day one, and finish at 10.00 am on day 6. Here is a typical day’s schedule:
- 7.00 am Light breakfast
- 7.30 am Trail form and drills – group trail run
- 11.00 am Brunch
- 12.00 pm Rest & relaxation
- 1.00 pm Workshop on running form
- 2.00 pm Light lunch
- 3.00 pm Hike or recovery run
- 5.00 pm Trail 101 including trail etiquette
- 6.30 pm Dinner
- 7.30 pm Inspirational video
The nearest airport is Denver International (DIA) – the airport is a 1.5 hour drive away from Estes Park. We provide transport during the camp, so you don’t need to bring your own. We recommend a local shuttle service that can pick you up at DIA, and drop you at the camp door here in Estes Park. They will also make the same run in reverse at camp end. To arrive in time for camp start, use the 1.00 pm shuttle from DIA. For return to DIA, use the 10.00 am shuttle. The round trip charge is $85 per person. See more details and to book at Estes Park Shuttle.
Food will be primarily vegetarian – special diets can be catered for. We have successfully catered for vegans, runners with gluten intolerance, and various dietary allergies.
Camp Director and Head Coach is Terry Chiplin. He is an endurance and life coach, and owner of Active at Altitude. Terry has over 20 years experience working and inspiring athletes of all abilities, from Olympic marathoner to a runner completing their first 5K! Terry is a certified Lydiard Level II coach – Athur Lydiard was the most successful running coach in history, and his sustainable training principles live on today – see more about the Lydiard Foundation here. He has also been a coach for Revolution Running based in Boulder.
The camp is jointly led by Nancy Hobbs, inspirational trail runner, holder of multiple age group race titles, CE of ATRA (American Trail Running Association), and co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running (with Adam Chase).
We are often fortunate to have guest star athletes come and join us for runs, workshops, or maybe both…keep an eye on our news section for updates on who will be joining us for your camp!
Each camp includes runs, activities and sessions from the following:
- trail runs of varying length and intensity
- uphill & downhill techniques
- hiking
- stretching
- running form and injury prevention
- workshops on a variety of trail running related subjects
- video review of running technique
- and much more!
We hope you never have to cancel your place for one of your camps once you have registered. However, life does happen, and things can change. You can see our cancellation policy at this link. We will always do our best to work with you if you do need to cancel.
The average age for campers is low 40’s.
Please don’t let age be a factor in deciding whether you think you could enjoy and benefit from these camps – feel free to contact us if you have any questions on your suitability for either one of these camps.
Amy - PA
“I deeply enjoyed this running camp. I had been looking for a camp that could challenge, inspire, and push me back into achieving my top running form…The location, the workouts, the entire experience was enriching to my mind, my body, and soul. The Colorado skyline was captivating; Terry and Jacqui and the celebrity ultrarunner of the weekend, Adam Chase, were all very helpful in providing a nurturing environment to help me reach my goals. I plan to PR my time each week, and when I break my all time personal 5k record, I will have Active at Altitude to thank, for providing the platform to get back in the running game. Thanks, Terry!”
Jamie - CA
“Being a novice trail runner I found the camp inspirational and encouraging. I will take all that I learned and use it in the future”
Julia - PA
“The camp provided a positive environment to allow one to overcome any fears about trail running. It eased the nerves when tackling ‘rocky’ downhills”
Victoria - NY
“Terry is so enthusiastic and gives good feedback. Environment was very relaxed and everyone at the camp was nice and supportive”
Claudia - CO
“I came to camp never having run a trail before. This experience has given me the opportunity to run, and possibly keep running trails. It was a great experience and very enjoyable!”
Robyn - WA
“The best part of the Active at Altitude experience however, is the atmosphere and tone that Terry and Jacqui set with their hospitable and relaxed attitude, inviting all into a family-like setting so that everyone soon finds themselves both at ease and able to enjoy their fellow participants. It makes the whole experience a joy and allows you to focus on your running and learning so that you come away with so much more”
Adam Chase - CO
“I thoroughly enjoyed trail running camp. The various trail runs, combined with the workshops provide a great introduction to trail running. Plus, you get to do it all in beautiful Estes Park!”
David - WI
We are thrilled to announce that our trail running camps are the first in the US to meet ATRA’s Trail Camp Standards.
You can see details of the 14 key areas that make up the Trail Camp Standards at this link.
Our trail camps feature demo shoes from a market leader in all terrain footwear, Inov-8. The Inov-8 Roclite 290 has been receiving rave reviews, including from me. Come and find out what Inov-8 can do for your trail running!
We love Trail Running so much, we brought the first ever US Trail Running Conference to Estes Park in 2013 – the seventh annual event takes place October 2019, location TBA. This will be the first time the Conference has been held outside Estes Park, and we are looking forward to a great event! The event features sessions for both Trail Race Directors and Trail Runners, with an expo, demo products, interactive workshops, speaker panels, elite athletes and more. We look forward to seeing you there!