PLAINS AND SIMPLE
Jennifer Platt does some recovering in a tented camp in the Kenyan hills, a training haven for long-distance runners
Jennifer Platt visits a tented camp in Kenya where guests can watch the world’s best marathon runners in training
HE road in Eldoret is paved with gold medals. It is, after all, the “City of Champions”, the Kenyan city that takes home more gold athletics medals than any other place on earth.
Actually, the roads are red and dusty and in use most of the time not only by marathon runners but also by throngs of people. It’s a place of trade, filled with people selling and buying goods — fruit, vegetables, flowers and secondhand clothes. There’s also the local transport, motorcycle taxis, which miraculously can carry up to five people, more than 20l of milk and piles of wood to light their homes and cook their food (though not at the same time). Then there are the numerous children running to and from school. Kenya proudly boasts a free primary education.
Eldoret, just south of the Cherangani Hills and a stone’s throw from the western border of Uganda, is one of the fastest growing cities in Kenya.
There are several marathon camps in the green hills, where long-distance athletes train in the cool Kaptagat forest. It’s high altitude, which gives the runners an incredible advantage — the climb starts from 2 400 metres above sea level and ends at 2 800m. Most were born here (with a genetic predisposition for athletics) and sent to train as runners by their proud and hopeful families. They pay their own way, earning money from winning races and sponsorship. Their singular aim is to win, whether it be marathons in and around Kenya or big international races such as Comrades, Brighton or Tokyo.
Our tour group is not living with the athletes at Peace Camp; we are in a tented, tourist camp next door.
Called Elagerini (after the river that runs through it), it has seven luxurious tents — all pristine and furnished with a queen-sized bed and a three-quarter. The bathroom is en-suite, built in stone with the tent attached to it, so one feels safe and comfortable. The water is heated by a log-fire system outside, which has to be fired up by one of the staff.
Patrick Birgen is the man who makes sure there is enough hot water — he is director of the camp. He also acts as our guide in Eldoret, organising those of us who want to train with the runners next door.
There are about 15 to 20 people living at Peace Camp, and you can hear them pass the Elagerini camp in a doof-doof-doof unison early every day at 6.30am, again at 10.30am and again at 4.30pm. They
run for no fewer than 30km a day. All they do is sleep, eat and train. Sponsored by Best Sports UK and some by Nike, they are all kitted out in running shoes and clothes. Friendly and open, they are happy to go running with people and are eager to share their knowledge.
We first meet the athletes at supper. One word of warning — there’s no banting here. The diet consists of carbs, especially the local grain dish called ugali, which is similar to stywe pap. It is bit more grainy and rough than our maize meal, but deliciously soaks up the flavourful meat and fish stews that accompany it.
The temperature also seems made for extreme exercise — mild and temperate, the hottest day is about 28°C, falling at night to around 10°C.
Running is not the only business and pleasure to be found in Eldoret. Situated in the massive Great Rift Valley, it has several huge flower farms. Flowers are one of Kenya’s famous exports, found in flower shops all over Europe, the UK and the Far East.
And if you want a bit of a hike (not too strenuous and just about 90 minutes) and history, you can visit the Sirikwa ruins.
The Sirikwa lived in East Africa around the 12th to 15th-centuries and remnants of their lives — stone circular structures and irrigation systems — are found in the forest. The natives of Uasin Gishu county (one of 47 that make up Kenya and of which Eldoret is the capital) speak of the Sirikwa people with great reverence. They say they had long hair, were tall and reddish in complexion. They were the great herders and farmers who introduced cattle, sheep, goats and agriculture to the region.
This place of history is offset by the living. Flights of butterflies are everywhere, landing on the forest floor, on the stone relics, flying through the trees. This is the migration of the Belenois species.
They appear as white flecks everywhere but they are actually white or pale yellow with black patterns on the edges of their wings. They can be seen all the way to the next town of Iten, about 35km away. Iten is called the “Home of Champions”. Not just where the athletes train as well, it’s also where they buy their homes with their winnings.
The people of Eldoret are hard working. They are mostly subsistence farmers toiling the fields for their day’s food. As Birgen says, “People are poor here but no one goes hungry. People make sure that they have food on their plates.”
Not only is there a sense of pride in their work, in their winners and in their land, there’s also a sense of hope. — Platt was a guest of Kenya Tourism Board
This place of history is offset by the living. Flights of butterflies are everywhere