Why do runners from around the world head to a remote town in Kenya?

Portuguese entrepreneur Pedro Queiroz may spend his vacation relaxing on a beach with his family, but since 2021, he has chosen to spend at least a month annually in a training camp in the Kenyan town of Iten, where he runs for a few hours a day at an altitude of about 2,440 meters above sea level. Quiroz, 45, told Ofoq News: “I am an amateur runner, and I do not have sponsors or receive wages.

But I love this sport, and Kenya is the only place that gives me a chance to become the athlete I always dreamed of being.” Queiroz started running a decade ago, ran his first 5K race, then increased the distances, read about the history of sports and nutrition, and bought a GPS smartwatch.

While preparing for the London Marathon, Itten caught his attention, especially since Kenyan runners have won 38 Olympic gold medals, most of them in long-distance races. What does it take to become a champion?

After 6 weeks at the Altitude Training Center in Iten, his performance improved significantly, and he reduced his marathon time to 2 hours and 38 minutes. Since then, he has returned to Iten eight times, taking on physical challenges including long-distance races and climbing some of the world's highest peaks, earning the town the nickname 'Home of Champions'.

Where it all began. Today, the Altitude Training Center has accommodation, a gym, a swimming pool, a sauna and a private paved track, welcoming around 90 people in peak season, almost all of them international visitors. It is now one of about a dozen running training centers in Iten.

Long-distance runner and three-time Olympian Lorna Kiplagat said that in 1997, Iten was a remote agricultural area lacking hotels, roads and tourists. Kiplagat, then 23 years old, had begun competing abroad and racked up several victories while training in places from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Davos, Switzerland.

“I realized that there is, objectively, no better place to train than home,” she said. Iten is located at an altitude of more than 1,800 meters above sea level, which forces the body to adapt to low oxygen levels and contributes to improving endurance.

The average temperature there is about 18 degrees Celsius throughout the year, while its terrain is characterized by difficulty and beauty. In 1999, Kiplagat opened the training center and invited local runners to train with her on the red-soil roads of Iten. She also opened its doors to Kenyan girls to encourage them to practice running in a safe environment.

“We were winning big races as a group, and the Western media started asking where we were training,” she said. “And of course, we kept mentioning the Altitude Training Centre.

“And so, step by step, we have become internationally known for preparing some of the best long-distance runners in the world.” Since 2004, the center has welcomed international athletes, including Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, a three-time London Marathon winner, and Olympic champions Mo Farah and Sifan Hassan.

But the Covid-19 pandemic has made it a truly global destination. The Town That Running Built Lockdowns during the pandemic increased the popularity of running, and then “Runcations” and “race-cations” boomed, with runners increasingly traveling abroad specifically to run.

Hotels and businesses have adapted to this trend, as has Kiplagat. “Running has become very popular, and we have received many requests from amateur runners as well, so we decided to open our doors to receive them,” she said.

"The only thing that hasn't changed is the height," said Queiroz, who has witnessed the transformation over the past five years. "The town has gotten bigger and busier, and the people who come to practice have become more diverse."

The cost of staying at the Altitude Training Center and using its facilities is about $57 per day, while Queiroz pays about $7 per session for the services of the coaches and accompanying runners. The center includes 5 full-time coaches, in addition to an extensive network of accompanying runners throughout the town.

According to figures compiled by environmental officer Joyce Kenny, the number of sports tourists in Iten has risen from around 300 in 2010 to more than 3,000 in 2025, leading to the growth of an entire economy around sports tourism, including training camps, accommodation and support services. Qyburn, a subsidiary of Decathlon, also opened 42 House, a residential training facility for professional runners.

Kenney told Ofoq News that half of the training centers established in Iten since the opening of the Altitude Training Center were established by foreigners. But Kiplagat sticks to her model, which she says is one of the few that gives back to the town.

The center trained about 300 local students for free, many of whom later received full scholarships to prestigious American universities. “We have built a system that welcomes locals and international athletes alike, and pushes everyone to give their best,” she said.

“The Western media shows the chaotic side of the country, but I feel very proud of Kenya, and I love the role the Altitude Training Center plays in introducing travelers to it,” she added.