Kenyan high altitude training camps

For training in Kenya, there are several options.

The easiest by far is to stay at a camp like Lornah's, but this is also not going be be a super cheap option. I've stayed there a couple of times, and it is great. You don't really have to think about anything - meals are prepared for you, hot showers and self-contained rooms, satellite TV in the dining room and an on-site gym with trainer. Contact them about pricing - varies depending on the length of your stay.

A step down from that would be one of the mid-range hotels in just about any major town - could be Eldoret, Nyahururu, or anywhere else. Might run you $10-12 a night full-board. Comfort & security won't be what it is at Lornah's, but it should be fine unless you're in the habit of leaving high-end electronics and loads of cash in your room. That said, I can't imagine there being a better place to train than Iten. My wife's uncle is trying to sell us a farm there right now, and I'd love to have a vacation place there - it's great. Eldoret is a decent town, and you can get almost anything you need there, but it's not really the greatest training location ever.

The lowest end thing that would be sane would be to rent a room in one of the smaller villages like the Kaptagat, Kapsabet, or Iten. I had a set up in Kaptagat where I rented a room from a family for 5,000 Kenyan shillings ($72)a month and had a hot shower, TV, someone to do my laundry, and breakfast & supper each day. I do think I got pretty lucky there though - had a family I could trust, I can speak enough Swahili to survive and communicate, etc. But that is out there.

If you've never been before, or if you're going for like a month, I'd say just bite the bullet and spend the cash for a room at Lornah's place. If you're going for longer, maybe stay at Lornah's for a while until you sort out your own place. Making the transition to true "Kenyan style" living is too demanding to justify doing it short term - by the time you're adjusted and ready to train well it will be time to leave.

Anyway, I've put a little info on the website below, and if you want some specific answers to questions about anything, please feel free to drop me an e-mail.

Mzungu

Great info. Thanks a lot!

Would anybody here suggest that a High School runner go to one of these who is at about a 16 5K over the summer? Just wondering

Boneheads all wrote:

Dream on.

Why can't you live in a hostel or tent in Colorado? Why go all the way to some 3rd world shithole?-3rd world shithole or u refer to your mum extra large shithole

Your cell phones probably will not work there and you will have to leave the PSP at home.

-Am sure cell phone work, why do u need cell phone.

There was an interesting bit a while ago by Barrios (I think) regarding HA traing camps in Mexico. The jist of the slam was that the Africans did all of the training no matter what; the Mexicans and South Americans did all of their training except after a night of hard partying; but the American's training somehow suffered because of lack of cell phone reception. Very telling.

HS Runner wrote:

Would anybody here suggest that a High School runner go to one of these who is at about a 16 5K over the summer? Just wondering

I don't think they care how fast you are. We are only considering it because I have to work over there and my daughter was thinking of coming over at some point to see me. She ran 19 min as a freshman, probably nothing compared to what their teens at the camp can do. But who cares. It would just be a great experience, a once in a lifetime thing.

Come on over!

I've just come back from a month training in Nyahururu on the eastern side of the Rift Valley about 3 hours from nairobi. My budget was about 12USD a day to cover staying in a local hotel (with hot shower), food and drinking water (bought rather than boiled).

The most expensive part was the return flight from london but feb/march is a much cheaper time to fly so you can do europe to nbo for about 800USD direct or save 100-150 by flying via dubai or cairo.

For the techies there is widespread email access across kenya for less than a dollar an hour. Speeds vary but its acceptable everywhere for getting email. European GSM cell phones can connect to the safaricom network (part of vodafone). Or you can buy a local mobile line for about 3 dollars and "pay as you go" for calls using scratch cards.

February sees the culmination of the domestic cross country season with the National in mid month after which the top runners disappear to the camp for the world cross and many other runners take a month off before starting track racing in mid march leading to track nationals in July.

March-May is when the long rains come (although they can be late) and training can be disrupted due to flooding/mud.

I've been to Iten and Eldoret and both are also good places to run with lots of athletes to train with. Cant comment on Lorna's place beyond stating the obvious that staying in one of the commercial camps will cost you a lot more and leave you with less to sort out yourself.

There are plenty of races (I did the District Cross Country Championships 4km last week) for when you are acclimatised and feel like a blowout. If you are new to altitude training its worth investing some time with your coach working out how to deal with adapting to the thin air. Plenty of athletes have spoilt their trip by overdoing it early on.

If you just want the benfits of altitude without the hassles of africa stick to colorado or st moritz. If you want to immerse yourself in the running experience of a lifetime buy a kiswahili phrasebook, learn how to peel a mango and head for kenya !

Karibuni Kenya na safari salama

Boneheads all wrote:

Dream on.

Why can't you live in a hostel or tent in Colorado? Why go all the way to some 3rd world shithole?

Your cell phones probably will not work there and you will have to leave the PSP at home.

yes never leave America

We have accommodation for £100 per month which enables you to live, train and eat alongside the world's best athletes. Email us on myles@mylesedwardsmedia.com - our website is www.runkenya.com