Turkey
Jun 7–14, 2027 · 7 days
Jun 7–14, 2027
7 days
Up to 14 participants
Trail Running
The challenge
The path starts high and rocky. Your feet slip on loose stone. The air is thin. This is Feslikan, and…
Read the full brief
The path starts high and rocky. Your feet slip on loose stone. The air is thin. This is Feslikan, and the trail drops fast toward Saklıkent. Ten hard kilometres, most of it down, over steep single-track that asks a lot of your legs. At the pass, someone hands you a hot espresso. Then the coast opens up, and dinner is fresh seafood by the sea in Kemer.
I'm Matt Heaps. I run trails, and I write about what's still possible in your forties and fifties. My rule is simple: miles with smiles. We push hard, then we rest well. Join me in Turkey for seven days on the Lycian Way and the mountains behind it.
We'll run soft forest paths down from Gedelme. We'll trace coastal footpaths above Adrasan, with bay views the whole way. We'll power-hike steep scree up toward Tahtalı, then sit with a local family for home-cooked food. One day we'll run the sand at Çıralı and the old ruins at Olympos, then hike at night to the eternal flames of Chimaera. This is not easy. Some days are steep. Some are long. The effort is the point.
You'll join a team that soaks tired legs in Gelidonya Bay and drinks Turkish coffee near the old lighthouse. There is tea at every stop, warm soup, and a proper feast at the end of each day.
The last light drops behind the pines. Your legs ache in a good way. The sea is right there, waiting.
Apply to join
We read every application. Small group — and I want to get the group right. If this sounds like you, apply below.
Day-by-Day
Day 1
Day 1 kicks off from Feslikan to Saklıkent Passes. You will run 10 km on high, rocky single-track. It climbs 450 m and drops 900 m. This is steep, technical ground. At the pass, we brew fresh espresso together. Then we head to the Kemer coast for a Mediterranean seafood feast. The sea, the salt, and tired legs.
Day 2
Day two, we drop from the Gedelme Plateau. Twenty kilometres, mostly down. You climb just 250 metres, then fall over 1,100. Soft forest paths and dirt trails carry your legs. We stop in the Gedelme Castle pine woods for tea, hot soup, and snacks. Long descents test your knees. The scent of pine follows you down.
Day 3
Day 3 takes us along the famous Lycian Way. We run 20 km from Karaöz to Adrasan, climbing 350 m and dropping 360 m. The path is rocky and single-track heavy, with bay views the whole way. After, we soak our legs in Gelidonya Bay. Then Turkish coffee, with the Gelidonya Lighthouse standing over the sea.
Day 4
Day 4 is short but steep. You will run 11 km from Beycik to Tahtalı Base, climbing 600 m and dropping 450 m. Expect mountain scree and high-gradient paths. This is where power-hiking pays off. After the climb, we stop at a Beycik family home for home-cooked Mediterranean food and mountain lore. Tired legs, full plate, quiet hills.
Day 5
Day 5 is 18 km, gentle at +200 m and -200 m. You will run soft sand on Çıralı Beach, forest dirt tracks, and flat paths through the old ruins of Olympos. At night we hike to the eternal flames of Chimaera. Then a high-carb cooking workshop back at the guesthouse. Small fires burning in the dark.
Day 6
Day 6 takes us into the Ovacık highland forest. You will run 12 km of tight woodland single-track, with 150 m up and 850 m down. The trail runs damp, so watch your footing and balance. We run slow through humid pine ferns. Then a sunset bonfire, and stars over the trees.
Day 7
Day 7 is our finale in Göynük Canyon. You will run 15 km on secret trails, with +450 m up and 470 m down. Expect rocky riverbeds, canyon crossings, and slippery stone paths. Take your time; the footing is tricky. We finish with a group photo deep in the canyon. Then a banquet dinner and live Mediterranean music. The water still echoing.
Day 8
This is it. The last morning. You will eat a good breakfast with the team. Then we transfer to Antalya Airport (AYT). No trail today. No climbs, no rocky paths. Just quiet goodbyes and tired legs. The tour ends here. You will carry Turkey's canyons and coast home with you.