About 35 kilometres east of Eldoret, Iten is the running capital of the world — a small town perched on the edge of the Kerio Valley escarpment where hundreds of elite Kenyan athletes and international visitors train at altitude. Every morning the red-dirt roads are thick with runners from 4am onwards.
The High Altitude Training Centre at Iten is the base for many visiting athletes and coaches. The town itself is a one-street place with a handful of hotels, a market, and guesthouses, but the atmosphere for anyone interested in distance running is extraordinary. The views from the escarpment into the Kerio Valley are spectacular in their own right.