Scott Winton - 2,400 metres above sea level

Perched on the western side of the mighty Rift Valley, Iten has for years produced some of the best runners in the world. Being a five hour drive North of Nairobi, it is a fairly remote place. In much the same way as wannabe actors and singers flock to Hollywood in search of their big break, Kenyans come here looking to escape the omnipresent poverty. And like almost every other corner of the planet, you don't have to look far to find Aussies and Kiwis.

As I enjoyed a two month training stint in this area fours years ago, I decided to return in preparation for the 2009 Gold Coast Marathon. In that four years there were still large groups of runners everywhere and still very little development had encroached on the farmland that has helped develop countless world class athletes. The only thing immediately obvious that had changed was the populraity of the newly elected President of the United States of America Barack Obama. Taxis, shops and houses were adorned with posters of the 44th President whose father is from the neighbouring district. In fact when I alighted from my taxi in Iten for the first time, the driver thanked me adding : "....and send my love to Michelle," in reference to Obama's hugely popular wife Michelle.

At an altitude of 2,400 metres above sea level, Iten is surrounded by miles and miles of undulating clay roads, and just three kilometres away is a half-decent dirt track. Sitting at the very edge of the Keiro Valley (which is a part of the greater Rift Valley), Iten is adjacent to a forest stretching 50 kilometres long and up to 10 kilometres wide. Over the years, numerous paths have been carved out of the forests interior and while not swarming with wildlife, it is not unusual to see monkeys swinging from the trees. Just 10 kilometres away, in the valley itself, elephants wonder among the gazelles and warthogs. Due to the relatively high altitude, the temperature remains condusive to heavy training all year round. Even the malaria-carrying mosquitoes are kind enough to stay away most of the year, but possibly more importantly, the town has all the necesarry amenities without any of the distractions and traffic problems of a big city. It is for these reasons that people like 3,000 metre steeple-chase world record holder Saif Saaeed Shaheen and current Commonwealth Games champion Augustine Choge call it home. And it is for these reasons that I have joined the growing numbers of foreign athletes that are deciding Kenya is the best place in the world to train. After leaving New Zealand in January this year, my aim was to get fit for the coming road racing season. In 2005 I trained 30 kilometres away in a place called Kaptagat but because my Kenyan training partners had moved, I decided to follow them. A few days later I was installed in my room among a row of 10 rooms where up to 30 people shared a four outside toilets which were little more than a hole in the ground. I was the only myzungu (white person) in our group but not the only one in town.

Within minutes of getting to Iten I had run into Jake Robertson, a middle-distance runner from Hamilton, New Zealand. He and twin brother Zane have lived in this part of the country since Jake competed in the World Cross Country in Mombasa in March 2007. They both came here prior to those Championships and have never left except for taking part in a few races in Europe. While the Kiwis are roughing it a bit, most myzungus live in a bit more comfort. International marathoner Lorna Kiplagat and husband Pieter Longerhorst have esatblished the High Altitude Training camp on the outskirts of town which is the base for many European teams and individuals keen to benefit from the Kenyan training environment. With a swimming pool, fully equipped gym with European, as well as African style food, it has all the comforts of home. But not all mzungus choose to stay there. Ireland's 1500 metrer runner Gavin O'Sullivan has been to Kenya on three seperate occassions and stays at the Sitet Hotel - one of two guest houses in Iten. "The Sitet is in town so you can go for a wander around town when you're not training and at about $US5 a night, it's a fraction of the price you pay at Lorna's camp." During my stay I met a number of overseas athletes of varying abilities including an English 800 metre runner, the European Marathon champion from Finland and a 3 hour 20 minute marathoner from Canada whose aim was to break 3hours.

In fact coincidentally the day I left Kenya Stephen Dineen arrived and soon after was living with the same group that had been like family to me for the previous three months. Staying in Iten for three weeks, Steve said it was great experience made better by the guys he was living with. "They were like my brothers, and life was great as things were so cheap and I was able to buy the guys more food than they normally ate."

Stephen was surprised when he was about to pass some Kenyans in training and they would pick up the pace. " I used to laugh to myself and keep running at whatever pace I was running. My Kenyan friends explained they didn't want me to pass them because it was embarrassing for a white guy to run faster than them. Unless it was Mottram."

Another Australian in Iten was Australian athletics coach Rob Higley. Having visited Kenya every year for more than two decades, Rob has now moved to Kenya and is now making a big impact. Having been involved in the development of Augustine Choge and Isaak Songkok at the famous St Patrick's High School, Rob now has his own group of 400m and 800m runners. Passionate and highly technical, Rob has dedicated his whole life to running and is funded through the help of a relatively small group of supporters in Australia and the UK. Sitting around cafes talking with Rob about Arthur Lydiard, Pat Clohessy or the All Blacks, I felt as I could have been back at home..

In our group were four marathoners and two track runners -it was perfect for me. Eventually one day became very much like the next.

A typical day would start with the happy tune of my phone alarm at 6am. The training allowed me to have such deep sleeps that it would take a few seconds to wake-up properly and realise that I was actually in Africa. After taking my running clothes from the line, I went from room to room waking everyone up and then out we went into the semi-darkness for the first training session of the day. Adjusting to the altitude took some time, so for the first few days I hung off the back so I could get accustomed to the thinner air. As is the case with any group of young athletes, training can be very competitive. After a pedestrian start, the pace slowly quickens to what can only really be described as race pace. These guys are the training partners of current World Marathon champion Luke Kibet, so I was not in any shape to start competing at the front. After training, it's back to the house for beakfast which consists of milky sweet tea, bread and sometimes fruit. Later in the morning there is often a second training run, but personally I prefer a late afternoon jog and some light stretching. As the sun sets in the early evening we often walk the short distance into town for a tea and a bit of a chat. Walking through the main street during the evening, the signs are everywhere that running is an intrinsic part of the local economy. On a terrace overlooking the town at Nick's Cafe there is a group of young men deep in conversation. One is wearing a Amsterdam Marathon t-shirt, another a shirt that reads Bristol Half Marathon. After a tea in town we pick up some vegeatbles for supper and we're back to the room to cook some Kenyan superfood - otherwise known as ugali. Ugali is a solid doughy substance made from ground maize and is the staple diet for most Kenyans, both runers and non-runners. Each night my group takes some ugali with vegatables and sometimes beef, washed down with another cup of milky tea. The dinner-time conversation, like any group of males, ranges from local politics and religion to girlfriend problems and Manchester United. But it would always return to the most popular subject -running and what is on the schedule for tommorrow.

Most athletes have come to Iten from different parts of Kenya like 2.14 marathoner Cleophas Rop who was one of my key training partners. He has been in Iten for three years: "I used to live in Nairobi but it was too hot. When I first got here it was too cold. But if I compare then with now, Kenya has become a lot warmer. We also have a lot more athletes now because when someone living here runs well, other guys say this is the place to be," he says.

When Rop starting running well in his first year in Iten, he was determined to stay. "When I first came here, I didn't know anybody. I now have a wife and a baby from this place and a lot of very good friends. It's home for me now." After tea, one by one, everybody makes their way to bed. The end of another tiring yet wholly enjoyable day in the Rift Valley, but before the lights go out, there is one more task that must be completed - the alarm is set for another 6am start tomorrow. And I'll still be in Africa.

Post Script: Scott narrowly won the Rotorua Marathon in New Zealand and went on to finish 8th at the 2009 Gold Coast Marathon.




 

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'In much the same way as wannabe actors and singers flock to Hollywood in search of their big break, Kenyans come here looking to escape the omnipresent poverty'
Scott Winton on Iten