With a population less than Taos, New Mexico, the small town of Iten, Kenya, which is located in the high-altitude (8,000 feet above sea level) Great Rift Valley, has become the go-to training place for world-class marathoners. A recent article in the New York Times about Iten’s runners revealed the following:
Male and female Kenyans who train here won marathons last month in London and in Boston. All six marathoners named last week to Kenya’s Olympic team train in Iten or the vicinity. The town of 4,000 people, roughly a quarter of whom are athletes, is also becoming a popular destination for foreigners seeking to hone their skills before races.
International athletes are flocking to Iten in quickly increasing numbers for the high altitude, clean air and cool temperature, and to analyze their performances. In recent months, squads from Germany, England, Greece and other countries have come here to train. Independent runners also come to town throughout the year.
“For most people, they come to Kenya to see how the Kenyan athletes train,” said Dan Mulhare, 26, a 3- and 5-kilometer runner from Ireland who is living here temporarily to train for this year’s European championships. International athletes “come to Kenya to find that magic ingredient,” he said.