Turkey
Jun 7–14, 2027 · 7 days
Jun 7–14, 2027
7 days
Up to 14 participants
Trail Running
The challenge
The trail climbs before the sun is fully up. Loose rock shifts under your feet. Steep, technical single-track drops away…
Read the full brief
The trail climbs before the sun is fully up. Loose rock shifts under your feet. Steep, technical single-track drops away toward the sea. This is day one in Turkey, ten kilometres over the high passes, with 900 metres of falling under your legs. At the top, a mobile espresso waits. Then seafood by the Kemer coast.
I'm Matt Heaps. I run marathons, and I write about what running looks like after 40. Fifty thousand people follow along at Heaps of Running. My whole thing is simple: miles with smiles. Push hard, then rest well. That is how we will run this week.
Over seven days you'll join a team on the Lycian Way and beyond. You'll drop down the Gedelme plateau, 20 kilometres of forest paths with tea and warm soup halfway. You'll run coastal single-track above the bays, then soak your legs in Gelidonya Bay with a Turkish coffee in hand. You'll power-hike steep scree to the base of Tahtalı, then eat home-cooked food with a Beycik family. Some days are short. Some are long. All of them are hard.
This is not an easy week. The climbs are real. The rock is sharp and the paths are narrow. But you'll run sand on Çıralı Beach, walk through the ruins of Olympos, and hike at night to the flames of Chimaera.
Picture the last morning. Salt on your skin, tired legs, and the sea flat and quiet below. That feeling stays with you.
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 you deep into the Ovacık highland forest. You will run 12 km on tight woodland single-track. Up 150 m, down 850 m. The trail is damp, so watch your footing and balance. We run through humid pine ferns in the afternoon. Then a bonfire glows as we sit back and count the stars.
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.