winter training retreat & olympic Trials viewing

ORLANDO, FL

THUR. FEBRUARY 1ST TO SUN. FEBRUARY 4TH

JOIN US FOR AN AMAZING WINTER BLOCK OF TRAINING & THE OLYMPIC TRIALS

Join the RunnersConnect coaches as we host an amazing 4-day running retreat weekend in Orlando, Florida. 

Our retreats are the perfect combination of spectacular running, hands-on coaching, informative and fun training lessons, and unforgettable memories with runners just like you!

Plus, this year the 2024 Olympic Trials will be held in Orlando and we’ll be watching!

Whether you’re looking for a chance to dial in your training for a spring race or simply see some of the best runners the US has to offer, this is the perfect trip to get reinvigorate your training on some amazing dirt roads and with some awesome new running friends. 

Plus, you have time to relax, explore and enjoy nothing but running, learning how to train smarter, and getting individual coaching in perfect running weather.

Our retreats are an intimate, informative, relaxing, and amazing running experience for all ages and abilities. 

Most first-timers come for the trails and training and keep coming back for the comradery and we’re sure you’ll feel the same!

We’ll be adding more details about the Olympic Trials viewing experience (athlete meetups, logistics, etc) once we know more details ourselves.

I'm In! Let's Go!

Orlando Winter Running Retreat Details

When

Thursday, February 1st to Sunday, February 4th
(4days, 3 nights)

Cost

$1090 – Shared 2-Bedroom Suite
$1295 – Single Room Suite

Where

Orlando, FL. Home to some of the best winter training in the US

Travel and Logistics

You should plan to fly into the Orlando airport. It’s a large airport, so it should have numerous flight options from your location. If you are local, you can also drive to our location.  

We will pick you up from the airport. We will group everyone into 2-3 groups depending on arrival time. Activities will start Thursday afternoon, so it is best to arrive sometime before 1pm.  

We will drop you off at the airport on Sunday between 11am and 1pm after the morning run.

Accomodations

We will be staying at the Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orlando Breeze Resort. The location is perfectly located near miles of dirt road running routes.

The hotel consists of immaculate Villas with full size kitchens, a living and dining area, and king beds. 

Single rooms will have their own Villa. Shared rooms will have a 2-bedroom Villa. Each person will have their own bedroom and share a kitchen and living room. If you choose a shared room, we will pair you with someone once we have all registrations confirmed. If you are coming with a friend, you can request staying together.

The facility also includes a fitness center, pool and everything you need to make this an awesome training destination.

Training and Experience Level

We schedule all running locations and times to accomodate your training. We have athletes running from 3-20 miles during the weekend depending on their goal race distance and current fitness. 

If you need help determining what would be best for you, we can help you determine the optimal runs for you. This ensures that the training while at the retreat will fit perfectly with your fall racing plans. 

All speeds and experience levels are welcome.  

As you know, we don’t care how fast or slow you are, we just want you to have fun and run well! I guarantee you will have someone to run with and make new friends the entire weekend. In 2019 we had everyone from a 5:30 marathoner to a 19 min 5k runner…and we had a blast!

Food

Food will be provided for you. A light breakfast of coffee, bagels and bars will be available before the runs. A larger breakfast or lunch will be available after each run. Dinner will also be provided each night at a local restaurant.

If you have dietary restrictions, we will collect this information when we take the final payment and we will accomodate anything you need.

Registration

The deposit due at signup is $495.

The deposit is refundable up until we ask to confirm the final payment January. At this point, the deposit will not be refundable.

The final payment amount will depend on your choice of a single or double room and will be due no later than 2 weeks before we travel to the retreat. 

Once your deposit is confirmed, we will email you confirmation and keep you updated on the itinerary, etc. 

We will also collect travel details and arrange airport pickups when we collect the final payment. We will then email you 2-3 weeks with exact airport pickup times and all travel details.5

I'm In! Let's Go!

A Taste of Our Retreats

Lectures from our Coaching Staff

From training concepts to nutrition and mental planning you'll leave the retreat with tons of great information for your training

Run on the Dirt Trails of Orlando

Soft dirt roads amidst orange groves await your tired legs as we'll take you on some of the best running trails in the Orlando area.

Coach-Guided Strength Training Sessions​

Our coaches will guide you through pre-run drills and stretches, post-run recovery routines, plus strength and drill routines​

Make New Running Friends

Meet and make new running friends who share your passion for running and love to learn and have fun.

1-on-1 Coaching sessions

Plenty of 1-on-1 coaching time to help answer your questions, create a program, race plan and discuss long-term and short-term goals.

Video Analysis of Your Running Form

Get a full breakdown of your mechanics and learn how to fix your issues on the spot.

What Does a Typical Day Look Like?

We’ve put together an amazing itinerary that will be an awesome balance of hard running, recovery and strength sessions, coaching and learning opportunities, a dn of course free time to relax.

Thursday we will kick off the day with a run of 3-6 miles (but you can go longer or shorter if needed). We’ll start with some warm-up drills and get you own your way. We will then have dinner and a fire/marshmallow and wine social to get to know each other.

Friday and Saturday will begin with a run. Friday is 6 to 12 miles (again, you can easily go longer or shorter) and Saturday is when we do a longer run.

Before each run we will have a dynamic warm-up session (teaching you how to do each move) and after the runs we will have active stretching sessions.

We will return to the hotel for showers and lunch, followed by lectures on nutrition, training and injury prevention and also 1-on-1 coaching sessions (which includes an analysis of your running form). Later in the afternoon we will have strength training or drills sessions and of course solo time for you to nap and relax.

This exact itinerary is subject to change, but will be mostly what we follow.

Wednesday

Check in

We'll be checking in to the hotel, getting everyone settled, and saying hello before a short run

2-4pm

Short run

A short run of 4-6 miles to stretch out the legs and get to know the area.

4:00pm

Cheese and Wine Social

Get to know the group after the run with some light snacks and conversation and relaxing.

5:30pm

Dinner

Chow time to fuel for a fun 4 days of training!

6:30pm

Meet and Greet

Get to know the coaches and each other, likely by a fire with some marshmellows!

8:00pm

Thursday

Morning Run

Optional or workout or easy mileage. We'll do a hill workout as a group - no competition, just fun! We'll help you modify your workout or adjust to fit your training and racing goals. You can also just run easy - no pressure.

8:00am

Post Run Recovery

Active Stretching class lead by your coaches to help keep everything nice and loose after a fun, but tough workout!

10:30am

Lunch

Fuel up after a hard workout

11:30am

Individual Coaching Sessions

These are the times when you'll have your one-on-one time with one of the coaches. You can pick which coach you want to chat with and we can discuss anything you want - training, long-term planning, race strategy, injury help and more!

12:30-3pm

Training Talk 1 (Nutrition)

We'll discuss overall and race day nutrition.

4:00pm

Strength and Drill Session

We'll split up the group into two and have one group perform a running-specific strength workout and the other half perform a drills session. After 30 minutes we'll switch!

5-6pm

Dinner

Chow time!

6:30pm

Friday

Leave for Grand Canyon

4-10 miles easy recovery run. Enjoy the picturesque running trails of flagstaff.

6:00am

Run Rim to Rim Path Grand Canyon

A paved path that runs along the rim of the grand canyon. Distance is as far as you'd like to run.

7:30am

Grand Canyon Hike

We'll do a 1.5 mile hike down into the grand canyon. We'll take it slow and plenty of time for pictures and rest breaks.

11:30am

Lunch and Drive back to Flagstaff

12:30-3pm

Training Talk 2 (Training Principles)

We'll discuss overall and race day nutrition.

4:00pm

Running Form Analysis

Using the video we took from your track workout, we'll break down your running form and have a demonstration session after to show you the drills and strength exercises to fix your issues.

5-6pm

Training Talk 3 (Mental Prep)

We'll lead you through both training and pre-race mental exercises you can employ to develop a stronger mind and more mental toughness.

6:00pm

Dinner time

7:00pm

Saturday

Long Run

Of course you don't have to run long if your plan doesn't call for it, but this will be our allotted time to run long if you want.

7:00am

Post Run Recovery

Active stretching class lead by coaches

10:30am

Lunch

Fuel up after a hard workout

11:30am

1-on-1 Coaching Sessions

These are the times when you'll have your one-on-one time with one of the coaches. You can pick which coach you want to chat with and we can discuss anything you want - training, long-term planning, race strategy, injury help and more!

1pm

Dinner

We'll enjoy our final dinner together as a group!

7:00pm

Sunday

Restorative Yoga

A relaxing and rejuvenating yoga sessions at one of the best studios in Flagstaff.

7:00am

Breakfast and Goodbyes

We'll have breakfast and start packing and saying goodbye to our new found friends.

9:00am

Start Departures

We will likely have two departure times for the airport, depending on flight times for everyone. We'll gather this info before the trip and let you know ahead of time based on your travel needs.

10:00am

What Type of Runner is This Retreat for?
Will I fit in?

Am I fast enough to come to a running retreat? Will there be people my age? I’m worried I won’t fit in…

These are questions we get a lot when we announce the retreat, so let me try to answer them for you.

First, All speeds and experience levels are welcome.  

You don’t have to be an elite runner, in your 20’s, or even run fast to fit in with this group.

The RunnersConnect community is filled with all types of runners – young, old, marathoners, 5kers, new to the sport, grizzled veterans and more.

We’re even global – with athletes from 80 different countries.

What we do all have in common is a love for running and a desire to improve, stay healthy and enjoy the sport more!

So, I can almost guarantee you’ll fit in with this retreat and you’ll love the people you meet!

"The camp was so well organized and the balance of running and non-running activities was perfect. The trails were awesome and I got the do my first ever mountain hike/climb. The accommodations were clean, comfortable and convenient. I’ve told everyone that it was oddly strenuous, yet relaxing. I will definitely be coming to camp again.”
Kara Schmidt
Kara Schmidt
"Being with such amazing people that as dedicated to their sport as I am. Being able to relate and talk about training with knowledgable coaches and other athletes. I would put this up there as one of the neatest experiences I have ever had and will cherish the new "friends" I made. It was amazing and I already miss the free and easy banter that developed over those 4 days. For someone like me who lives in a very rural area where runners with this amount of dedication are rare, and for someone who rarely gets to travel, it was worth ever penny."
Cynthis Morris
Cynthis Morris
"Jeff's and the staff's expertise and their sincere desire to impart as much of that as possible to us over the long weekend made the camp, from a technical standpoint, well worth the investment of time and money. It should never be underestimated just how transformative it is to the everyday runner when a pro/elite shows genuine interest and gives his pupil some assignments to work on over the next year. And finally, the bonding between runners and with the staff, though we might seldom see one another in the future, not only forged new friendships among kindred souls, but also showed us that we are not alone in this often solitary sport. We're a team. "
Ken Brown
Ken Brown
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Choose Your Option

Choose the payment option that best works for your situation.

Single Villa

$1295

This includes all nights, food, and  transportation while at the retreat. 

Due Today: $495

Deposit is completely refundable until December. We will collect second half of payment in November 2023.

SOLD OUT - JOIN WAITLIST

Shared Villa

$1090

This includes all nights, food, and  transportation while at the retreat. 

Due Today: $495

Deposit is completely refundable until December. We will collect second half of payment in November 2023.

RESERVE SPOT

FAQ

We'll do our best to answer most questions here, but feel free to email support@runnersconnect.net if there's anything we haven't covered.

We will give you a 100% refund, no questions asked, up until November when we as for the final payment. At this point, we need to make our payment for the rooms, so no refunds will be issued after this date.

If there is something that prevents us from holding the camp (i.e. the state shuts down or mandates quarantine) then any payments you have made will be refunded 100%.

More than likely, yes. Just let us know in advance what needs you have and we will be sure to accommodate. In 7 years running retreats, we’ve never had a dietary need we couldn’t accommodate.

Unless your race is less than 3 weeks away from the retreat date, then the retreat itself will not interfere with your training. We will work with you to adjust your workouts and make sure you get the most from the retreat.

Yes, absolutely. If your family wants to join you to travel, but not participate in the running or coaching activities, they are free to join at no additional cost.

If your spouse wants to join in the retreat activities, then the cost is $600.

This covers the food, transportation and coaching.

If you’d like to bring your spouse, make your initial deposit for a single room and then email jeff@runnersconnect.net and we can send you the information to get your spouse signed up.