Kenya's Iten Getaway; Where Runners Hearts Lie
Just like any other exotic natural resort, here is a place where runners get to test themselves on a one-on-one without any competition, just testing their limits.
Loise lenser
Many long-distance runners around the world have dreamt of testing themselves in this spiritual home for running. Most often find their expectations slashed and training elevated beyond what they expected. True, if you make a visit to Iten ahead of a big international competition you are likely to find well-known world marathon runners having their training here.
Known for training Kenya's best long-distance runners, it is a town located in the Kenyan rift valley, Elgeyo Marakwet county and it is the largest town in this county. it is a forty-minute drive by taxi from Eldoret town, just along Eldoret and Kabarnet junction.
It is a scenery of escarpments and rivers and in some way, it typically has a look of an African town with squat houses and farm animals leading through the town's red dirt roads. Iten is at the heart of Rift Valley with the name crafted from the word ' hill ten'.
Iten is surrounded by quite a good number of hotels, training camps and guest houses, making it an ideal getaway. An example is the Lurnah's High Altitude training centre, opened by former world champion Lornah Kiplagat as a facility for both local and foreign trainers in 1999. The town also has training camps that offer specific athletic management like Gianni camp and Run fast camp. Other hotels are the Kerio view hotel and Keelu resort both owned by former world marathon record holder, Wilson Kipsang.
If not for running, Iten is also the best place to enjoy nature from waterfalls, watching wildlife, to enjoying gorges and exploring caves.
It is a small town, but as long as you wake up early in the morning you will always find someone to train you, especially on Tuesdays and thursdays when there is a mass speed workout. Athletes attend the track which is just a walking distance from Iten town. It has a public track that is open to all and many training groups arrive from 6am to midday for training. One will always witness groups of Kenyan athletes on tracks and on training roads of about 20 to 30 miles and next to the Kamariny athletes stadium is also a view of athletes completing their intervals at a dirt track.
